Smooth Operator
by Mordecool1039
Summary: Several months have passed since the Nighthowler case, and Nick and Judy are among the best duo on the ZPD. However, when Nick starts finding his collar getting tight when he thinks of his partner, he'll have to confront the hardest truth he's ever had: maybe he's not as smooth as he thinks he is.
1. Chapter 1

Smooth Operator

Judy's lavender eyes snapped open mere seconds before her alarm blared. 6:29 a.m., right on schedule. Her paw was on the off switch right as it started beeping.

While getting accustomed to a routine was nice, she mainly got on the schedule so she didn't have to deal with the very loud oryx and kudu next door who had particularly good hearing and were unfortunately ornery in the morning for a married couple living in an apartment complex with paper-thin walls.

Despite her quick reflexes, the two beeps that slipped out of the alarm clock's ancient speakers were enough to warrant a groan from beyond her faded wallpaper.

"Ugh, bunny, couldn't you take the night-shift?" complained Pronk.

"Hey, lay off her, she's got a tough job, and she doesn't need your whining at this hour!" whisper-shouted Bucky, Pronk's partner.

"Oh, that's just like you, take her side why don't you! Never mind your husband or anything!" Pronk said with increasingly loud volume.

"Shut up, you're going to wake up the neighbors! And husband? Excuse me? You haven't even proposed yet!"

"I'm working on it! And you shut up!"

"No, you shut up!"

Judy sighed, and pinched the bridge of her nose. Oh well, she thought to herself. They'll probably make up by tonight.

With any luck, the pair will have made up before she gets back from work. Judy didn't consider herself prudish, but the thin drywall separating the rooms left little to the imagination.

She lightly blushed despite herself at the thought, rolled her eyes at her own apparent chasteness, and went to take a shower, perhaps a little colder than normal.

After drying off, she made her way to her miniscule, plywood excuse for a closet and noted that the arguing from next door and quieted into subtle snoring. Smiling slightly, she pulled out her crisp, laundered ZPD uniform and scanned over it.

"Not a wrinkle anywhere," she mused. She glanced at the clock. 6:51, right on schedule. That would give her precisely four minutes to get in the cruiser, 15 minutes to get to the bake shop Nick likes so much, seven minutes to get their order, ten more minutes to get to his apartment, three minutes to wait for him to drag his foxy butt down the stairs to the car, and 20 minutes to get to the station. That would give them ten minutes to eat, chat with Clawhauser and the other officers, and get settled before their 8:00 a.m. sharp briefing with Chief Bogo.

Judy's nose twitched involuntarily. She couldn't let Nick know how organized her mornings were; she'd never hear the end of it.

She quickly changed, but took a moment to admire herself in the mirror before heading out. Although she didn't fuss too much over her appearance normally, she had to admit she loved how she looked with the ZPD badge emblazoned on her chest and the crisp lines of her uniform loosely hugging her frame. She let herself beam with pride a bit before strolling out the door.

* * *

Nick had a thick wad of twenties in his hand, cackling as Finnick drove their van through the crowded streets of Zootopia. The scent of warm, conned money filled his keen fox nose, and the warm, resonant tones of Finnick laughing hung in his ears.

"I don't compliment you enough, Nick," the fennec fox said. "I tell you what, I think that was our best scam yet."

Nick dramatically bowed before resuming counting his cash as the citizens of Zootopia flew by the windows of the van in a blur. "Mmm, yes, praise me," he said, basking in imaginary sun. "Your flattery only makes my ego grow stronger."

Nick, smiling, turned to Finnick, who had suddenly grown quiet. The laughter died, and a mysteriously sullen look adorned the smaller fox's face. "You uh, okay Finnick?" Nick asked. "What's up?"

Finnick's face hardened. "Oh, nothing," he said, tinged with bitterness. He refused to look at Nick, staring straight ahead at the road. "It's just a shame we can't keep any of that cash since you became a cop."

The blood drained from Nick's face as the surroundings melted away in a fog. The cityscape seemed to dissolve into dark blobs, and the citizens evaporated into thin air. Zootopia vanished, and the pair were driving through pitch blackness that went on for miles.

"Finnick, c'mon, I had a real chance to better myself, you know that," Nick said. "You can't judge me for trying to make something of my life." Finnick flinched, and was stared straight ahead at the darkness. Nick cringed internally; he hadn't meant that to sound so accusational. Finnick then turned to Nick slowly, his eyes and ears growing to become misshapen and distorted.

"And what about me, huh?" misshapen-head-Finnick asked. "All of a sudden some dumb cottontail bunny hustles you, drags you into her business, and you all about that life? You left me behind!"

"What? No, No! Finnick, I didn't!" Nick pleaded. He felt himself shrinking, and Finnick was growing higher and higher.

"Yes, you did!" boomed the titanic fennec. He leaned his gargantuan head down and squinted with one eye at Nick like a child with a magnifying glass over an anthill. "You left me behind! BEHI-"

BEEP BEEP BEEP

Nick's eyes shot open and he immediately sat up and looked at his alarm clock. 7:08 a.m. The alarm had been going off for minutes.

He fumbled with the clock before finally hitting the off button. After setting it back down on his bare nightstand, he stared at his hands before wiping his bleary eyes. His dream was already fading from his memory, but the visage of Finnick was burned into his retinas. He knew exactly where the dream had stemmed from; after spending years pulling scams with his diminutive partner, he hadn't seen him in the five months since graduating from the ZPD Academy.

Not that he was sorry for joining the ZPD, of course. The months he'd spent as Judy's partner on the force had been the best time he'd had in years. Sure, he had rules he actually had to follow now. And yes, occasional meter maid duty was mind-numbingly boring, Judy's competitive antics notwithstanding. And yeah, he was of the opinion that Chief Bogo could do with removing a few of the hundreds of sticks from his butt, an opinion he often shared with Judy and always made her giggle.

"Okay," he admitted to himself. "The giggling makes up for it a bit."

Even if there wasn't any bunny giggling, he had actual purpose now. He'd never admit it aloud to Judy, Clawhauser, or any of his coworkers, but Nick hadn't taken pride in his life for a long time.

"Coworkers," he mumbled to himself, a slight grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. "I have freaking coworkers. Screw business associates, I've got actual coworkers."

Right as his mouth began to break into a smile, the image of Finnick glaring at him reared its gigantic, oddly-proportioned head in the landscape of his mind, and the smile quickly faltered.

He glanced back at the clock, and saw that he'd wasted five minutes sitting there. He groaned loudly and dramatically to no one in particular; Judy would be at his door soon. Trudging his way to his shower, he yelped after turning it on and being blasted with icy water. Squinting at the shower handles through his shivering, he confirmed that yes, he had turned the hot handle, and yes, the apartment manager hadn't put in the work order to fix his faulty water heater.

A frown toxic enough to contaminate even the peppiest morning-mammal's mood grew over his face as he speed-showered through the involuntary convulsions from the cold. An even faster blow-dry and toweling off didn't help his demeanor any as he threw on a white t-shirt and his work slacks. He paused momentarily before putting on his uniform. The ironed lines on it still felt a little strange on his body, but he acknowledged that the alienness of wearing it was diminishing with each passing day. Right as he'd finished tucking in his shirt, a sharp rap at his door rang through the apartment.

"Nick?" Judy asked from the other side. "You'd better not still be in bed." Nick deftly and silently made his way over to the door, avoiding the one squeaky board on his wooden floor.

"I swear, if I have to use the spare key to get in and see you sleeping in your boxers again, I'll-" was all Judy could get out before Nick made it to the door.

At that moment, the door swung open and a very smug fox stood wearing a very practiced, very hurt look on his face. "Carrots, your words wound me!" he exclaimed, bringing a hand up to his forehead in fake distress. "That you would believe me capable of such behavior cuts right to my very soul." He pulled a clenched fist to his chest for emphasis.

Judy was unimpressed, and she unceremoniously waved a coffee and bag of pastries in front of his face. "Can it, Wilde," she said, rolling her eyes. "After I went to the trouble of going to that lynx's bakery for you, I don't want to hear any complaints."

Nick scoffed, and turned his snout up at the gifts. "So, you think I'm so cheap that you can buy my dignity with, ooh-" he said suddenly, sniffing the air. "Is that hazelnut with one and a half sugars?"

Judy smiled, despite her telling herself before she got to the apartment that she wouldn't give her partner the satisfaction of knowing that his little games had an effect on her.

"Yes, it is. And yes, that is two still-warm blueberry Danishes in the bag. So, you were saying?" She asked, pleased at having the upper hand. Nick's stomach will always be his one weakness.

Nick's tail gave an involuntary swish at the mention of blueberry Danishes. "Alright, Carrots, you got me," he said, reaching for the bag. "A coffee and two blueberry pastries are exactly the price of my dignity."

Judy pulled the bag and coffee right out of his reach before grinning. "Nuh uh, Mr. Fox, not until we're out in the cruiser."

"Ugh, c'mon Fluff, don't play me like this," Nick groaned, his ears folding back.

Judy was already near bounding down the stairs. "If you want them, you'll have to come and get them!" she teased. Nick quickly locked up, the odor of blueberries and hazelnut still fresh in his nose, and made his way to the car.

He strolled out of the complex at the briskest fast-walk he could that still retained a little dignity. As he sat down in the police cruiser, Judy turned the key in the ignition. "Okay, Carrots, I'm here, now can I please feast on the bountiful harvest you've so generously provided?" he asked.

Judy shook her head once, and replied, "Not until you buckle in. Safety first!"

Nick groaned. "You know, Carrots, there is such a thing as being too chipper in the morning. Cut me some slack, foxes were nocturnal for thousands of years," he said, buckling himself.

"Thankfully, we've got coffee for that now," she replied, handing his greedy paws the coffee he so desperately craved. She'd barely lifted the cup up to him before he snatched it away, inhaling the aroma deeply.

"Ahh, that's more like it," he said, taking a big swig and nearly scalding his tongue. His face contorted into several amusing shapes as he tried to soothe his burned mouth.

Judy giggled and rolled her eyes. "You know, you could wait just a little bit before guzzling it down. There is such a thing as savoring it."

Nick's tongue still hurt, but he soldiered on and lifted the cup to his mouth again. "No, ith definithly all worth it," he said. Judy pulled out of the spot and started toward ZPD Precinct One. Nick reached into the brown sack between them and pulled out a Danish.

The pastry was still warm, and the fresh blueberry filling helped soothe his scalded mouth when he took a bite. He looked in the bag and noticed a carrot donut, and handed it to Judy. They ate in silence for a few minutes, savoring their first food of the day.

Nick had finished his first pastry and was having a battle in his mind over whether to eat the second one now or later when Judy piped up. "What do you think Bogo will have for us today?" she asked as she polished off the last of her donut.

"Whatever it is, it had just better not be parking duty," Nick replied. "I know you love handing out hundreds of tickets in an hour, but ticketing parked cars for a day actually makes me reconsider a life of hustling."

Judy turned to her partner. "Nick, you know I hate parking duty just as much as you do, right?"

"Then why are you always so gung-ho about it? You could take it a little easier, it's not like missing a few parking citations is gonna be the end of the world."

She shrugged. "I don't know, I just don't like leaving a job half-finished. If Bogo has me on parking duty, then I'm going to be the best damn meter maid this city has ever seen."

Nick snickered a bit. "And you've certainly earned that title if the number of angry citizens arguing with Clawhauser over being two minutes late back to their car is any indication."

They shared a brief laugh before he spoke up again. "Aren't you worried that doing such a good job on parking duty means they're gonna stick you on it over and over again?"

"I don't really think that's how it works, Nick," she replied, a teasing tone lilting at the edge of her voice. "I mean, we solved the biggest kidnapping and conspiracy case the city has ever seen. I doubt Bogo would waste our talent by sticking us with permanent parking duty just because I'm good at putting tickets on cars."

"Yeah, but what else are we gonna do?" Nick groaned. "It's not like crime has gone up since you ushered in a new era of pred-prey Kumbaya after nearly starting mass riots between species." He paused. "Nice work on that, by the way," he said with a grin.

She wanted to bury her head in her paws, and would have if she wasn't driving. Being reminded of her lowest point, when she drove off her best friend and resigned from the ZPD wasn't a memory she enjoyed reliving. She refused to give Nick the satisfaction, though; she had to flip the subject a bit. "You know, you were just as responsible as I was for kickstarting the new era of Kumbaya as I was," she said warmly. "So don't pin the fact that Bogo has nothing for us to do solely on me. All this peace and quiet is because of you, too."

That's it, Judy, she thought to herself. He gets sarcastic, you get nice. We'll beat that dumb fox with kindness. Now, he'll say something sassy, we'll laugh, and you'll be up on points.

Nick didn't remark with something snide, though. Silence filled the car for a few moments before Judy looked over at her partner. It's not easy for furred mammals to tell when another mammal is blushing, but Judy could have sworn she saw a little extra red tinged on Nick's face.

"Hey, c'mon, Carrots, you were the one who figured out about the Nighthowlers and was actually a cop at the time," Nick said, slowly rubbing the back of his neck. "You did most of the work, I was just along for the ride."

"I just got lucky and stumbled onto that connection," Judy retorted. "You were the one that actually saved the briefcase with the evidence, and you came up with the plan to trick Bellweather by pretending to go savage. An act, I might add, that you performed flawlessly." When she could, she stole glances toward her partner to gauge his face. It wasn't like Nick to get modest in the face of praise; normally it inflated his already large ego to dangerous proportions.

Nick looked into his cup of coffee, and a smile crept onto his muzzle.

At a red light, she spoke up again. "I'm serious, Nick," Judy said. She reached over placed a paw on Nick's shoulder. She stared intently at him. He shifted a bit under her gaze, and the car was suddenly a bit hot for the fox. "I couldn't have done any of that without my partner." A smile had broken out over Judy's face as she looked at her partner. Nick was caught off guard by how genuine her smile was, and could do little to fight the warmth blooming in his chest.

"Heh, I uh, well, thanks, Judy," he said finally. "You made me want to help the city."

And you, I wanted to help you, he thought to himself. Nick's eyes widened a bit at his own monologue. That… was not what I meant to think. I didn't really do that for you, did I?

"Nick, did you just call me Judy?"

The fox froze, and he could have sworn Judy had turned the heater in the car on.

"Uhhh…" was all he could get out. His collar had gotten tight. He never slipped up like that. Had he really just called her by her first name? "Um, sly bunny?" he said finally, more of a rhetorical question than anything.

Judy beamed at him with a strange combination of smug pride and authentic warmth.

"Dumb fox," she said, pulling her hand away and punching him lightly on the shoulder. He rubbed the spot in mock pain, but where she had been resting her hand felt a little colder without it there. They were only a few minutes from the station.

Did I really do that for you? He asked himself again. Yes, yes I did.

The remainder of the drive was filled with comfortable silence, Judy content that she'd made it clear to Nick about the gravity of his contribution to the Nighthowler case, and Nick absorbed in his thoughts. They pulled into the station lot at 7:49, one minute ahead of schedule. Judy internally fist pumped at their punctuality.

As the pair strolled into the station, Nick's thoughts lingered on the conversation in the cruiser. Why did I call her Judy? I never do that. A bit of praise from a single bunny shouldn't be enough to turn me into a quivering kit.

And yet, as they made their way to Clawhauser, he found himself being mindful of how close he was to her, not wanting to lag too far behind, but also not getting too close. He took especially close notice of how her tail seemed to bob ever so slightly with each step. How had he not noticed that before?

This... certainly is a new development.

The cheetah noticed their entrance. He held a donut in one hand and a very sugary coffee in the other. "Hey guys!" he shouted out before attacking the donut like his ancestors attacked gazelles on the savanna. "How was your weekend?" he asked with his mouth full.

"Oh, you know, same old, same old," Judy answered. She wasn't lying. For how much hustle and bustle there was in Zootopia, she often found herself quietly reading, listening to music, or texting Nick on the weekends. Occasionally they'd go out for a bite at lunch, or catch a concert, but they both knew neither was making much money at the precinct, so they didn't push the issue much.

"Okay Judy, real talk here," Clawhauser said, suddenly serious. "Are we good enough friends that I can call you cute yet?"

Judy's ears flopped back and she rolled her eyes. Clawhauser had both paws under his chin, waiting with bated breath for her response. "Just… just as long as you don't overdo it," she said after a pregnant pause. "Like, once or twice a day, max."

"Oooooh!" he squealed. "Thanks Judy, you won't regret it!"

"Good, don't make me," she replied, cocking an eyebrow.

"Okay then, real talk number two. When is a cute thing like you gonna find yourself a guy? You've been in Zootopia for months, but I've never heard you talk about a date."

Judy's ears flipped straight up. Nick, who had pulled out his phone, found himself very interested in their new conversation.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about," she said. Her cheeks burned. "I mean, I don't even know where I'd go looking."

"Oh, honey, I know plenty of mammals that I could hook you up with!" the cheetah replied jovially. Something rose in the pit of Nick's stomach, and he felt the strange urge to tape Clawhauser's mouth shut and make his way to the bullpen.

"O-Oh no, I could never do a blind date," Judy said, desperately wishing for a way out of the conversation. She didn't mind small talk with her coworkers, but her personal life wasn't something she liked discussing. "I'd definitely have to know them. I couldn't go out with a complete stranger."

Nick noticed Judy's discomfort. Her naturally straight posture dipped somewhat, and the tips of her ears drooped. "Hey, Clawhauser," he piped up, a distracting, relaxed smile plastered on his muzzle. "I just remembered, picked you up something nice at the bakery." He flipped the cheetah his second blueberry Danish. "Don't let it get cold, big guy," he finished with a wink.

"Oh, Nick, you shouldn't have!" Clawhauser said, nabbing the pastry out of mid-air. "I mean, please do it again in the future, but you shouldn't have!" He quickly took to snarfing down the baked treat. Nick deftly placed his hand on Judy's back and started walking towards the bullpen.

"Sly fox," she said grinning at her partner as they walked away. "I'll have to get you an extra one tomorrow."

"No problem, Carrots. I don't like being interrogated about my personal life, either."

"I mean, he meant well, and I don't hold it against him," she said. "It's just, who likes to talk about the fact that they haven't had a date in yea-months?" She found her cheeks burning again.

Nick shot his patented smug grin back at Judy. "Hey, you won't find any judgment from me."

She stuck her tongue out at her partner. "Seriously, though, thanks Nick," she said, wrapping one arm around the fox's waist in a hug. "I appreciate it."

"Uh, don't mention it, Carrots," he replied, quickly removing his hand from her back. His collar felt warm for the second time that morning. He still wasn't sure how he felt about it yet.

As they took their oversized seat at the front of the room, they still had a few minutes to spare. Fangmeyer and Wolford were laughing in the back at some joke McHorn had told. Francine had a bored look on her face, swiping right on her phone, while occasionally pausing to swipe left, while Delgato was sneaking peeks at what she was up to. All the other officers were either thumbing through their phones or making small talk. Not long after, Chief Bogo lumbered into the room, his presence immediately felt by everyone else.

"Alright, everyone, that's enough," he said. Bogo had the strange ability to boom his voice like thunder while keeping it at a conversational level. Although Nick liked to give the Cape buffalo a hard time when he could, he never missed a word the chief said.

"So, just a few things on the docket today," Bogo said, gesturing to his clipboard and adjusting his reading glasses. "First, the winner of the raffle will be determined later today, so now's your last opportunity to buy tickets. First prize is two passes to the upcoming Gazelle show."

"Yeah, like anyone stands a chance since Clawhauser bought like 50," Wolford snickered, causing the entire room to break out in laughter.

"Be that as it may, today's still your last chance for tickets," Bogo said unfazed. "Second, we've got a pretty routine day ahead. Wolford, Fangmeyer, Snarlof, and Higgins, traffic duty in Tundratown." A collective groan arose from the four officers. "Chief, c'mon, traffic duty?" whined Fangmeyer, warranting a glare from Bogo. "Isn't there anything else?"

"That's an order, Fangmeyer. The ice machines in Tundratown have been on the fritz and are overproducing, so there's plenty of road closures to deal with. Public Works has assured me they're working on the problem, and should be cleared up shortly. Until then, traffic is going to be a nightmare down there, so keep the peace. Now then, Delgato, Francine, McHorn, there's a planned rally in support of interspecies relationships in Sahara Square. You'll be running security."

Delgato spoke up. "Uh, Chief? Not that I'm arguing the order, but is security really necessary?" he asked. "I mean, interspecies and pred-prey stuff is pretty common nowadays."

"First, Delgato, that sounded an awful lot like arguing to me," Bogo glowered. A few stray chuckles were heard throughout the room. Judy swore Bogo's state could bore a hole through walls. Bogo straightened his posture. "And second, I share your sentiments. With public opinion so heavily shifted in favor of the interspecies movement in the last year, I was going to just put you three on regular patrol, but the Mayor's office said it would be good to have a ZPD presence. Something about, 'putting up the ZPD as the face of equality' or some such nonsense," he concluded. This seemed to satisfy Delgato, who slouched back in his chair.

"Don't act like you're not excited, Delgato," teased Francine. "I've seen how you look at that doe that sells coffee across the street." The whole bullpen proceeded to 'Oooooh!' at the accusation. Wolford clamped his paw over Fangmeyer's mouth to keep him from howling.

"Please, she just makes good coffee," Delgato said coolly, but Nick noticed the tiniest bead of sweat on the tiger's forehead. Smirking, he made a mental note to push that button later.

"Whatever you say, big boy," the elephant said, an unconvinced glint in her eyes.

"That's enough," Bogo said, without a trace of anger. Everyone knew he could run the tightest ship possible at the precinct, but allowed a fair amount of ribbing and jokes at his daily meetings. The camaraderie made the team feel more like a family.

"Everyone else, you have your normal patrol duties. Sorry there's nothing more exciting, but take the lack of work to do as a good sign. When we do our jobs right, our days should be quite boring," Bogo said. Sighs and quiet groans of acknowledgement rumbled across the room as the mammals started filing out.

"Well, Carrots," Nick started. "Looks like another fun-filled day of mammal-watching and keeping an eye out for pickpockets." He slid himself out of the seat and began making his way to the door. He and Judy usually waited until everyone else had left on account of their size.

Judy grumbled under her breath. "Yeah, looks like it. Beats parking duty, I guess."

Nick grinned, showing off a few teeth. "See, that's the spirit! Maybe, if we're lucky, someone can try to hold up a donut store and when we heroically catch the bad guy, we can get some on the house!" He did a little jig with his arms.

Judy chuckled lightly. "I'm pretty sure accepting gifts for doing our work is unethical, Nick. Don't you remember the ethics test you had to take?"

Nick's imaginary rumba ground to a halt. "You know, Carrots, you can be a real wet blanket sometimes. Officer Dreamkiller, they ought to call you."

She punched him on the arm. "Hey, I'm just trying to save your sorry butt from an Internal Affairs investigation." At this point, it was just Judy, Nick, and Bogo left in the room. "Hold up, you two," the Chief said after everyone else had left. "I was not entirely honest when I said everyone else had their usual patrols. Meet me in my office in five minutes." Bogo then strode out, leaving a cryptic air between the two.

Nick looked at Judy, and noticed her nose was getting scrunched up. Heh, she's got her thinking face on, he thought. Nick found his gaze lingering a second too long at his partner before quickly turning and admiring a very interesting spot on the blank wall.

"What do you think the Chief wants?" she asked, her face an equal mix anticipation, worry, and confusion.

Nick gave a lazy shrug of his shoulders. "Eh, who knows. Maybe just changing up our usual route."

"Maybe," she said, unsure.

"Well, we'll find out in a few minutes anyway," Nick said. He began walking out of the room. "You coming?"

Judy, lost in her thoughts, snapped to attention. "Oh, yeah," she said, and made her way to his side. The pair went up the flight of stairs and waited outside Bogo's office. Shortly after, Bogo ushered them in and they sat down. Damn, the chief's face is practically unreadable, thought Nick.

A few heavy moments passed before Bogo sighed. "Alright. Wilde, Hopps, let me be clear," he began. "Nothing that I say here leaves this office, understood?" Judy and Nicked looked at each other quizzically before nodding in unison.

"Good. Now, you're not going to be on your usual patrol. Instead, I've got a… sensitive case for you both." He slid a file folder across his desk, which Judy promptly picked up. Inside were pictures taken from security cameras, showing mammals in various locations across Zootopia exchanging thick wads of cash.

"Chief, what exactly is this?" Judy asked.

"There's a large scale gambling ring that we believe is operating here out of Savanna Central," he said. "And we have reason to suspect that someone in the ZPD is feeding these mammals information on how to avoid getting caught."

Nick's eyes widened, and felt himself leaning forward in his chair. Judy looked aghast.

"W-what? Chief, there has to be some mistake."

Bogo sighed. "There's no mistake Hopps. Some of the cash in those photos was marked by us here at Precinct One. We came across these photos a few days ago. Somehow, though, they've managed to escape any detection. It would be impossible for them to get their hands this scot-free without someone on the inside."

Judy passed the folder to Nick, who began thumbing through the images. His stomach sank; he knew some of the mammals in these photos from before he became a cop. The idea that some of them went from picking pockets to something more organized filled him with a regret he'd never felt before.

"Okay, Chief, but why are you telling us?" Judy said. "Shouldn't this be a larger scale investigation?"

"In ordinary circumstances, Hopps, yes, it would," he said. "However, we believe that starting a full-scale inquiry into this issue could spook whoever is working with these criminals into cutting all contact, and potentially making the lead dry up. You two are among my best officers, and Internal Affairs has done a thorough investigation into you two and found you both to be completely clean."

"Not that I'm so certain, Wilde," Bogo said, leering at the fox. "You're not so far removed from your past that you're completely free from my suspicion, but if the spooks at IA say you're clean, then I'll defer to their judgment."

Nick shifted uncomfortably in his seat, but maintained eye contact with Bogo. He wanted to play it cool, but hearing the chief's distrust drudged up some unfortunate realities. Months as a cop doesn't clear years of hustling.

Judy spoke up abruptly. "Chief, I personally vouch for Officer Wilde. He's not had a single instance of misconduct since he graduated as valedictorian from the Academy, and has been a valued partner. I wouldn't have been able to operate at the level I have been without his support." Her words were clipped and terse. While she was showing respect to Bogo, Nick could tell she was upset. Her tail was fluffed out, and he could see her fighting the urge to stamp her feet. He couldn't help but feel a swell of pride at her praise.

"Relax Hopps, Internal Affairs spent months investigating Officer Wilde before he joined the force. He's here listening to this, isn't he?"

She began to speak again, but paused before any words could get out.

Bogo spoke again, this time with more warmth in his voice. "Part of being an officer at my precinct is considering all available options, and not dismissing any outcome as impossible. I just want to make it clear to Officer Wilde that I am extending a large hoof of trust on this."

Nick swallowed. "Understood, Chief."

"Sir," Nick said after a few moments. "Are you saying that some of our fellow officers are under suspicion?"

Bogo shut both his eyes and let out a long breath he didn't realize he was holding. "Yes, Officer Wilde, that's exactly what I'm saying. It doesn't make me happy to say, but that's what it means."

Nick placed the folder back up on the desk before shooting a concerned glance at Judy. She was staring at the floor, eyes darting back and forth. Her nose was twitching again, but it soon stopped. She slowly stood, and her eyes were fiery.

"Chief, it would be an honor to take this case," she said, each word dripping with determination.

Bogo chuckled quietly to himself. "I figured you'd say that, Hopps." He turned his gaze at Nick. "Officer Wilde, what about you?"

"O-of course, sir." Nick said, with a little less conviction than he'd wanted. "We'll get on it immediately."

"Glad to hear it," Bogo said, standing up. "Unfortunately, we have little in the way of leads. We don't want to let these people know we're on to them, so you're going to be on your own for ideas. Wilde, how close are you still to your associates from before you became an officer?"

Nick rubbed the back of his neck. "Honestly sir? Not very. I've more or less… cut contact with most."

"I already knew that, but it's good to hear out of your mouth," Bogo said. "Hopps, didn't you mention you'd spoken with a reporter from the Zootopia News Herald a while ago?"

Judy perked up. "Oh, yeah! His name was, uh…" Her foot tapped to jog her memory. "Cameron Cotton, I think."

"I saw an article in today's paper about a slow growth of criminal activity here in Savanna Central, and it had his byline. Try reaching out to him, see if he knows anything we don't."

"Of course, sir, we'll get right on it," Judy said, saluting. Nick quickly rose to attention and saluted as well.

Bogo sat back down, and began reviewing some notes. "Very good, officers. Dismissed," he said with a wave of his hand.

Judy and Nick walked out of the office. Nick felt something heavy weigh down in the pit of his stomach. Investigating our fellow officers, he thought. I almost wish Bogo didn't pick us for this.

Judy noticed her partner's look of consternation. "Hey, Nick? You okay?" she asked, worry hanging at the edge of her words.

Nick turned to her, and every ounce of doubt washed from his face. He smirked at Judy. "Yeah, Carrots, don't worry about it," he said smoothly. After lying to other mammals for most of his life, Nick liked to think he had a good poker face. "Someone down in accounting thinks they can squirrel away a few extra bucks, big deal. We'll have this closed for Buffalo Butt in a few days, tops." Nick stretched his arms before heading down the stairs ahead of Judy.

Judy stared at her partner for a moment before a laugh escaped her lips. "Nick, I think the term 'squirrel away' is kind of racist," she said as she caught up to Nick.

The foxed was unfazed, walking with both hands in his pockets. "I mean, have you met a squirrel before? Big fans of stowing stuff for later, only to forget about it later. Made for great marks during my less scrupulous days."

"Officer Wilde, what am I going to do with you," Judy said, shaking her head.

"Hopefully buy me a second blueberry pastry after saving your butt from Clawhauser's interrogation."

"Ass," Judy said, punching her partner in the arm for the third time that day.

"Officer Hopps, such language!" Nick said, recoiling in faux horror and rubbing his arm. The horror was fake, but the dull throb in his arm wasn't. That bunny is going to be the death of me.

She hopped down the remaining few stairs. "Only for you, partner."

Soon, they were out in their cruiser. Nick buckled himself in. "Alright, Carrots, where are we off to?"

Judy had pulled out her phone and flipping through a list of contacts. "Bogo's idea was good. I'm gonna message Cameron and see if he's got time to meet us."

Nick blinked. He was vaguely familiar with Cameron Cotton; an arctic hare investigative reporter in Zootopia, often delving deep into the underbelly of the city. Before he'd become a cop, Nick remembered reading one of Cotton's pieces, an exposé into a case of systemic abuse and corruption by the Rodentian city council. Nick respected his work, but always got a vibe of zealotry when he read something Cotton had written.

"How did you say you knew him?" Nick asked.

"He contacted me as a source for a story he was writing while you were in training," she replied cheerfully. "I told him to go through the proper media channels with the ZPD, but we talked a bit and agreed that if one of us needed a tip, the could go to the other to see what they knew. I figured having reliable contacts would help out in the long run."

Nick shrugged his shoulders and nodded. "Makes sense to me."

Judy paused before turning the key in the ignition. "Nick, was what you said in the Chief's office true? Have you really cut contact with your old hustling friends?"

Nick inwardly flinched; this wasn't exactly a conversation he was interested in having. "I didn't really cut contact, Fluff." He was staring out the passenger window. "They stopped talking to me. Not many of them are big fans of cops."

"O-oh," she replied simply. Her hand lingered in mid-air, torn halfway between resting on his shoulder and going back to the wheel. "I'm, um, sorry to hear that. Even Finnick?"

Nick said nothing, shrugging his shoulders again.

Her ears folded back, and she turned away from her partner. "Sorry, Nick, I shouldn't have brought it up."

Nick closed his eyes and sighed, then turned to Judy with as close of a look of comfort that he could manage. "Hey, don't worry about it, Carrots," he said. "You don't need to walk on eggshells around me."

"I-, uh, thanks, Nick," she said, returning a weak smile that quickly shifted into a frown. "I already drove you off once, and I'd really rather not do it again."

Nick snickered and lost the fight to contain his laughter. Judy stared at him, her nostrils flaring and red tinging her cheeks. Although he'd actually wind up dead if he said it out loud, Nick had to admit she was cute when she got angry with him. "What the hell, Nick, I open myself up over here and you're laughing?" Judy yelled. Her fists were balled in small, lagomorphic fury.

The fox wiped a tear from his eye. "S-sorry, Carrots, but c'mon. You think anything you say or do will get to me that badly?" A few stray chuckles escaped from his lips before he calmed down. "No, you're stuck with me, Hopps, whether you want to be or not. Now, are we going to meet Mr. Bigshot reporter or what?" He gave her the smuggest cool-guy grin he could muster.

Judy stared at him before her anger melted into giggles in mere seconds. "Well, I guess if I'm stuck with you, then it can't be helped. I guess you'll just have to be my partner forever, then."

Nick's heart gave an involuntary leap, and he felt his cool grin morph into something much more self-conscious upon hearing her words. Yup, the new development doesn't seem to be going away.

Her phone gave a little ring for a notification. "Oh, he said he'd meet us at a café on 36th and Acacia in 25 minutes," said Judy, who started up the car.

"Well, can't keep him waiting, can we?" Nick said, sliding on his Aviator sunglasses.

"I think you'll like him, Nick. He kinda reminds me of you in some ways."

"Oh yeah? Well then, I can't wait to meet him," Nick said.

Judy nodded once, and the pair quickly sped off towards the restaurant.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Midday traffic. Perhaps Judy's least favorite aspect of her job. Bunnyburrow only had three traffic lights, so coming from that to Zootopia took some adjustments in more ways than one.

However, she couldn't see herself ever adjusting to this.

"Are you kidding me?" she bellowed at a taxi that swerved in front of their car, forcing her to slam on the brakes. Nick had braced himself for the sudden stop and was unfazed. "Who the hell cuts off a police cruiser?" The tips of her ears burned, and she gripped the steering wheel so tight Nick could practically hear it..

Nick looked over at her and pondered how much he valued his life. _Not enough to not do what I'm about to do_.

"So, Carrots," he began nonchalantly. He pulled a lollipop out of his pocket and started unwrapping it. "Do all bunnies get road rage this bad, or is it just you?"

Judy's pupils narrowed, and the glare she gave her partner could have melted a hole through a bank vault. "Nick, I swear to all that is holy-"

Nick threw his hands up in the air in surrender. "Hey, don't mind me, Carrots. Just looking out for your mental health."

He paused.

"...And the physical health of our fellow drivers, but that's not-" was all he could get out before she snatched away his lollipop and threw it out the window.

Nick cocked an eyebrow. "I'll have you know, Officer Hopps, that littering in Savanna Central warrants a $50 fine, minimum. Also, I was going to eat that."

He was enjoying this. Perhaps too much, but hey, what's too much of a good thing? He could almost see the steam venting out of her ears. He decided to pull back a little bit; they were only a few blocks from The Watering Hole, an upscale cafe in downtown Savanna Central, and Judy was starting to resemble a feral wolverine than a bunny.

"Carrots, relax. We're not late, the place is only a few blocks away, and I promise, you're an excellent driver."

She stopped gritting her teeth and her vicegrip on the steering wheel relaxed somewhat.

"I-, you-, this- ugh!" That was all she could get out before planting her face square on the wheel. The light they were sitting at was still red, and she began rhythmically beating her forehead against the wheel.

"I. hate. traffic. so. much," she whined. Each word was punctuated with a thump of her head.

"Now, how are you going to look with a big red mark on your forehead trying to weasel information out of this guy?" Nick asked.

Judy pulled her head back from the wheel in time to see the light turn green after what felt like decades.

"I don't even have the patience to remind that, once again, "weasel information" is pretty racist," Judy said. "Especially for someone who helped stop a plot to permanently divide predators and prey in the biggest corruption scandal in city history."

"Right, I'll take that into consideration," Nick said amused.

Judy was torn between fuming at the increasing aloofness of her partner and smiling at his obvious, albeit infuriating, attempts to cheer her up. They crossed out of the shadow of a skyscraper as they pulled out of the intersection and sunlight shone through the car. Judy squinted, suddenly frustrated with both herself and the glowing orb in the sky. _Why didn't I take Nick's offer to buy me some sunglasses?_

She glanced over at her partner as she turned right, only a few minutes to the cafe. The sun hit Nick dead in the face, illuminating is auburn-red fur. He tipped his shades down with a finger, and his half-smile glinted dangerously in the light. "What, Carrots?" he asked. His tone turned flirtatious. "See something you like?"

Her heart skipped a beat. His teeth looked so sharp, but they didn't look threatening. No, that's what old Judy would have thought. Now, in the sun, his cocky grin almost looked… what was the word…

Exciting.

"H-hah, in your dreams, Wilde!" she replied, perhaps a little too hastily.

"Ouch, Carrots, cut right into my poor foxy feelings with that one," Nick chuckled, propping his glasses back into place. Outwardly, Nick was a picture of composure. Inside, though, he practically _feel_ his blood pressure spiking. The palms of his hands felt clammy, and he exhaled a breath he didn't realize he was holding.  
 _What the hell were you thinking?_ He berated himself. _See something you like? What are you, a greaser from the 50s? When have you ever said 'See something you like?' Never, you idiot._

The pair's respective trances were broken when yet another taxi cab darted across the lane in front of Judy, forcing her to slam on the brakes. Nick found himself flung forward against his seatbelt, unprepared for the sudden stop.

"ARE YOU BLIND? HOW DO YOU NOT SEE ME HERE? I'M IN A SQUAD CAR, FOR PETE'S SAKE! I MEAN, CHEESE AND CRACKERS, I'M RIGHT HERE!" Judy roared with all the fury a bunny could muster, all thoughts about Nick's toothy grin abandoned.

"Jeez, Carrots, really got him good with that 'cheese and crackers' line," Nick said, his voice dripping with sour honey.

The fox knew he deserved what was coming, so he just sat back and enjoyed Judy's verbal onslaught with a lazy smile on his face until they reached their destination.

The two managed to squeeze into a spot only a block away from The Watering Hole.

"...And if I hear another peep out of your smug, hustling little mouth, I promise you Wilde, I will end you before this day is through," Judy threatened Nick as they stepped out of the car.

"You know, Carrots, with that attitude you'd make for a pretty good wolf. Or a bear, even. I can picture your hackles raising right now," Nick replied, ignoring her threat.

She sped up in front of him and poked him in the chest as menacingly as she could.

"End. You."

Nick gulped. For such a small mammal, and one that was supposed to be his natural prey, Judy could be downright terrifying when she wanted to.

His tail frizzed out a bit, and he gave a weak salute. "Uh, yes ma'am."

Judy slid her finger up his chest and onto his cheek, cupping it. She knew she'd won. "See Nick," she said, saccharine staining her words. "That's all I wanted to hear."

She pulled an about face and practically skipped towards the restaurant, savoring her victory. Nick stood there, eyes wide, his paw trailing up to his cheek. _Hm, looks like today is full of new developments._

He caught up to her as they entered the establishment. Smoky cherry doors opened into a standing area in front of a long counter with the lights dimmed low. The cafe accommodated animals of all sizes, even featuring an outdoor patio section for giraffes. Various mammals were tucked away in the booths lining the cafe, sipping coffees, munching on pastries, and furiously typing away at laptops, while others placed orders with the fashionable baristas behind the counter. Nick eyed the prices above them: a little high, but not exorbitant, with a wide variety of organic teas, coffees, and smoothies. At the back of the restaurant sat an arctic hare in a bowtie with long, snowy ears, a sketchbook in hand, and an herbal tea on the table. Judy signaled to Nick to follow her, and made her way to the hare's table.

The hare looked up as they approached and smiled a toothy grin. He stood up to greet his guests, his white fur more of an light tan in the low light. "Officer Judy Hopps," Cameron Cotton began. "It's a pleasure to see you again." His voice was resonant and sharp, and he spoke a little too quickly, like he was already thinking of the next thing to say. _Definitely lived in Zootopia a while,_ thought Nick. _Probably his whole life._ Nick also took note of the thin cigarette tin in the hare's front pocket, but couldn't smell any smoke on him.

"It's good to see you again, Cameron," Judy replied.

"Please, Officer Hopps, I'm only Cameron to my mother. Call me Cam."

Judy gave the hare a warm smile. "If you insist, Cam."

Cameron's eyes shifted to Nick. While Nick was a full head taller than Judy, Cameron was only a few inches shorter than he was. The hare's ears definitely gave him an edge.

Judy noticed Cam's eyes. "Oh, right. Cam, this is my partner-"

"Yes, of course. Officer Wilde, 50 percent of the duo that saved the city. Officer Hopps has told me a lot about you," Cam said. He extended his paw to the fox.

Nick took it and shook it firmly. Cam's paw felt strong, but precise, and Nick could feel light callouses on his pads. Nick had shaken a lot of paws and hooves to close deals during his hustling days, and he knew there was a lot to tell from a mammal's handshake. Too hard or too many shakes meant they were overcompensating. A single shake meant they were only interested in business. Reading others was one of his strong suits.

However, despite his street-honed perception, he couldn't glean a single bit of information from the hare, except that he was immaculate about how he presented himself. Nick felt his eyes narrow slightly. "Only tales of my heroic deeds, I'm sure," Nick said, slipping into his hustler persona momentarily.

"Only the most noble and daring, I assure you," Cam said coolly, releasing his paw and taking his seat. Nick could feel Cam's eyes scanning over him, doing exactly what Nick just did to him. "Now, please, sit down. While I appreciate the call, Officer Hopps, I'm sure you didn't reach out to me during work hours just to have a chat."

Nick and Judy took a seat opposite Cam. A waitress came and took their orders. Nick requested a hazelnut coffee with one and a half sugars, while Judy asked for an organic carrot tea.

Once the waitress left to put in the orders, Judy leaned forward. "Cam, you remember when you told me I could come to you for information and vice versa?" she asked.

"Like yesterday, Officer Hopps. May I call you Judy?"

Judy blinked. "Oh, um, sure, I don't mind."

Cam took a quick sip of his tea. "Thank you. Formality is great for first impressions, but I'd say we're past that. So, you're coming for information, is that it?"

"Yes, and while I can't go into any details, sources from the precinct are limited, so we'd appreciate any help you can offer."

Cam leaned back, and a corner of his mouth curled up. "It's the gambling ring, isn't it Officer Hopps?" he asked, his voice steady and smooth.

Judy's eyes widened, and Nick stared at the hare. Cam broke into a full grin. "Hah, I knew it," he said triumphantly.

"H-how did you-" Judy began.

"Officer Hopps, it's my job to know exactly what's going on in the city. It was either that or the drug running operation going on in Sahara Square, and the gambling ring is proximally closer."

Nick paused. "Wait, what drug running operation? What are you talking about?"

Cam took another sip from his cup. "Well, I haven't confirmed that it's drug related yet, but there have been a few high-profile hospitalizations in the last couple of weeks down there. Local celebrities, media personalities, that sort of thing. PR has tried to get it to blow over, and for the most part, it has. Hospital records are obviously locked tight, but my sources have all come back to me with the same list of symptoms. Bounding energy, followed by frantic seizures, followed by temporary catatonia. I could be off, but I imagine your chief will be briefing you in a few weeks about a Nighthowler derivative spreading around our backyard to the south."

Judy slumped back in her chair, taken aback at Cam's words. Nick realized his jaw was slack, and shut it quickly. "A Nighthowler derivative… How long have you been looking into this?" she asked.

"A few months," he replied simply. The waitress came back with Nick and Judy's drinks. Nick immediately took a long sip and nearly scorched his tongue again.

"But that's not why we're here," Cam said, his tone lowering. "You're looking for leads into this gambling ring, right?"

Nick and Judy looked at one another. "Yes, we're trying to keep this on the down-low," Judy said. "Our current sources are coming up… short, you could say, so any assistance would be appreciated."

"Honestly, even the smallest thing could lead to something," Nick chimed in. "But we understand if you don't have much. There's not a lot to go on."

"I wouldn't worry about that, Officer Wilde," Cam replied. "And of course I'll share what I know. Anything to help out the ZPD."

 _There's no way this guy is this cool under pressure,_ Nick thought. _How is someone so smarmy this good at reading people. God, he reminds me of… of…_

Judy's words in the cruiser echoed in Nick's head.

" _He reminds me of you in a lot of ways."_

 _Aw, cheese and crackers,_ he thought.

"Well, officers, at the risk of sounding like a flea market salesman, but you've come to the right place," Cam said, pulling out his notebook. "Now, what you two did during that Nighthowler case did a number on organized crime in the area. Major operations have basically shrunk to zero, at least temporarily, in the wake of the case. Well, except Mr. Big. He still has, and probably will always have his operation in Tundratown, but between you and me, I think he's secretly a big softy."

Nick and Judy looked at one another, and then back to the hare. "Woah, hold up a minute," Nick said. He furrowed his brow at Cam. "Mr. Big has that town wrapped around his little finger. He gets what he wants, when he wants it. How can you call him soft?"

Cam rested his chin on his paw. "Officer Wilde, I know you've got some history with Big. Let me ask you, in all the years you've been around him or people that know him, can you recall even one time that someone legitimately disappeared when they went to him? Or anyone disappearing, for that matter?"

Nick raised a finger, about to reply, but stopped. He thought back; he couldn't recall a single instance of a mammal going missing after a visit to Mr. Big. Plenty of people were threatened with getting iced, of course, but now that he looked back, he never heard of anyone actually getting iced.

"This is just me talking, but I think he wants to give off the illusion that he's this dangerous mob boss killer, when really he's just trying to make money and keep crime down," Cam said, drinking the last of his tea.

Nick fumed silently; how had he never noticed that before? Was he that sloppy to miss something that obvious?

Judy considered speaking up about how threatening mammals with death was still a crime, and didn't excuse anything about Mr. Big, but thought better of it when she recalled her and Nick's 'interesting' method of getting information out of Weaselton during the Nighthowler case.

"Mr. Big's neither here nor there, though," Cam said. "My point was that the work you two did legitimately hit local opinion on organized crime for the last several months, but like poverty and taxes, crime's not something that really goes away forever.

He started flipping through his notes until he stopped at a page heavily inked with what looked like incoherent scribbles. He flipped it around and slid it across the table. Nick turned away and rolled his eyes.

 _Who does this guy think he is, action star Jack Savage passing us some government secrets?_

"I've heard some whispers here and there about a laundromat on Baobab Avenue that seems to be doing much better than its clientele would suggest," he said, gesturing to his notebook. An address, or at least a poor facsimile of one was written in chicken-scratch. "One of my sources said he's seen some shady looking types coming and going semi-regularly. Doesn't mean anything, but the owner's a bighorn sheep that's had some run-ins with ZPD before. Small-time money laundering, pickpocketing, that sort of thing. Name's John Woolenstein, check your records, should be in there."

"Okay, so there's a ram with a rap sheet running a cleaning service, so what?" Nick said. An edge had slid into his voice. Why was he getting frustrated? This was routine police work he and Judy were doing.

Judy briefly glanced at her partner, an eyebrow slightly raised. Nick knew she'd caught the mild frustration in his voice, and if she caught it, then Cam definitely did.

Cam merely smiled. "Far be it from me to tell you how to do your job, Officer Wilde, but staking out the laundromat and seeing who goes in could provide some information. If any mammals that head in match the photos I'm sure your chief showed you as proof of this operation, then you may have a solid lead."

Nick felt his internal furnace fire on all cylinders, but Judy beamed.

"Cam, that's brilliant!" she said with exuberance. "Heck, we could have a stakeout organized by tonight, even."

Cam chuckled and put his notepad back into his bag. "Like I said, anything to help out the ZPD and their famous rabbit officer. I'll forward you the information when I get back to the office." Although barely noticeable, Nick noticed Judy's ears snapped to attention at the compliment.

"Oh, please, Cam. Flattery will get you nowhere." She rolled her eyes with a familiarity that Nick wasn't aware she and Cam had.

He shrugged. "Eh, you'd be surprised where flattery can get you in my line of work, Judy."

"Is that how you got to where you are? Overbearing charm and a sharp pen?"

"No. Well yes, but no," he said. He let himself laugh at his own joke. "No, recognizing a smart business relationship has gotten me farther than anything else."

Nick was glancing between the two, their informality not missed on him. Neither was Cam's use of Judy's first name. He fought the urge to frown, forcing himself to appear indifferent to the current conversation.

The waitress brought over a check for them. Judy began to reach for it when Cam snatched it off the table.  
"Cam, that's really not necess-" Judy began.

Cam raised a paw and pulled out a credit card from his wallet. "Please, Officer Hopps, I insist. Besides, the News-Herald gives me an allowance for when I go out with mammals of interest, so it will literally cost me nothing." He slid the card into the holder with the check, and within moments their waitress picked it up.

"Well then, at least let me express my gratitude by leaving a tip," Judy said, reaching for her own wallet.

"You're not going to let this go, are you Officer Hopps?"

"'Fraid not. I may be from Bunnyburrow, but letting a man pay for everything isn't something I can abide."

"Well, you stick by your principles. I can respect that," Cam said.

Judy nodded curtly. "Thank you," she said and pulled out a five.

Inwardly, Nick was gagging at the two. _She's let me pay for stuff plenty of times, where was this modern-bunny schtick then?_

"Is that what I am, by the way? A 'mammal of interest?'" she asked.

"Officer Hopps, you've been of interest to the paper since you joined the force," Cam said. "First rabbit officer? Not gonna lie, Judy, when I saw that you'd joined the force, it… felt good, you know?" Cam seemed to relax, his slyness having melted away into genuine sincerity. "Getting second-guessed by superiors, being mocked for your size, your ideas getting dismissed... well, I'm sure I don't have to tell you about what that's like."

It was becoming harder and harder for Nick to feign disinterest.

Judy unconsciously rubbed the back of her neck. "Things were a little rough going there in the beginning, but we made it through," she said, feeling somewhat self-conscious in the face of praise. "You know, I almost got kicked out of the ZPD for insubordination during the Nighthowler case. I think the Chief didn't like the idea of an uppity bunny officer taking a crack at the case that was stumping his best detectives." The tips of her ears felt warm, and the pride she felt in the morning when she looked at her uniform came surging back.

"See, that's exactly what I'm talking about," Cam replied, leaning forward in his seat. "Rabbits, hares, shrews, weasels… hell, they could all use more ambassadors like you."

Judy felt her cheeks turn pink under her grey fur.

"You too, Officer Wilde," Cam said, looking at the fox. Nick was pulled from his reverie of pretending not to be interested in their conversation? "Hmm? What do you mean?" Nick asked.

"Well, first fox officer couldn't have been a walk in the park, either," Cam said. "I talk to a lot of foxes, and I'm well aware of the unwarranted reputation they have. It's just good to see the little guys get some recognition, you know?"

Nick chuckled, his throat dry. "Heh, I appreciate it, but I don't really consider myself one of the 'little guys,' especially compared to a bunny and a hare," he said.

"Maybe not to us, but compared to a rhino or polar bear? Couldn't have been easy." He glanced at the watch on his wrist briefly. "Ah, I've wasted enough of your time already," he said abruptly, scooting out of his seat. "I didn't even realize it was nearly 9:30, I've got an interview at 10 that I need to prepare for."

"Oh, of course," Judy said, getting out of the booth as well. She extended her paw again. "It was good to see you again, Cam, and thanks for the information."

Cam took her paw and shook it. "I appreciate it, Officer Hopps, and likewise." He then took his other paw and placed it on hers, holding it in his hands. Although they were similar species, his paws seemed to envelop hers. "And remember, if you need any other tips, or you're just looking to chat, you've got my cell. Don't hesitate to call." He smirked, his voice dancing on the line between flattery and sincerity.

Judy was slightly taken aback at the gesture, but gave him a knowing look at his tone. "You charmer, you can't rely on that forever," she replied.

"It's gotten me this far," he said. Judy chuckled. Nick silently retched.

"Officer Wilde," Cam said, addressing Nick. "It was a pleasure to meet you. Judy has my number, so if you need anything, drop me a line."

"Yeah, I'll keep that in mind, Cotton," Nick said, nodding his head once.

Cam grabbed his bag from the booth and began to walk out. Before he reached the exit, he called out, "Oh, and do let me know how it goes! Always looking for a story."

"I'll think about it," Judy teased. With that, Cam stepped out the door and headed for his car.

Judy turned to Nick. "This is great! I doubt Bogo expected us to get a lead so quickly. We've got a bit of setup to do before we can organize a stake-out.," she said.

Nick frowned. "I'm not so sure about this, Carrots," he began. "I mean, sure, some ram with run-ins with the cops has a laundromat with some spooky guys going in. But you know what Baobab is like; there's not a single business in that neighborhood that doesn't serve a few shady types now and again."

"Nick, what are you talking about? This is our only lead that we have."

"Well, I guess I'm not so sure that this is a lead at all. That's all I'm saying."

Judy turned to face him. "Well, do you have any other ideas on where to get a lead?"

Nick thought briefly about asking Finnick if he knew anything about it, but shook the idea out of his head. Every way he looked at it, that exchange wouldn't end well, and he definitely wasn't prepared to deal with the fallout.

Judy jumped onto Nick's pause. "If you don't have any other ideas, why not go with this? It's one stake-out, it's not like it's going to cost us anything."

Nick stayed adamant. "Look, Carrots, I'm just not a big fan of wasting my time, or your time, for that matter. I think we should just move on and look for new information."

Judy squinted at her partner, her face beginning to contort into disgust. "Nick, why are you being like this? This could be a genuine lead, and if it's not, then we're no worse off than before."

Patrons were starting to glance at the pair out of the corners of their eyes, and Nick knew it. He avoided their gaze and stared at his feet.

He huffed, and crossed his arms. "Look, I'm just not sold on this Cam guy, that's all," he said. "He's a reporter, meaning he's got a vested interest in turning a non-story into a story." He paused briefly and shrugged. "I just don't really trust reporters, is all."

 _Nah, it's really just him, and his too-cool attitude, and knowing stuff that I don't, and calling Judy 'Judy,' and…_

 _Oh, no. No, no way. Definitely not jealous. Nope, absolutely no chance. 100 percent jealousy free, that's me._

Judy softened a bit, but remained steadfast. "Nick, I understand if you're distrustful of the press, but I've gotten to know Cam pretty well. He's a good guy, and I really think this could help the case," she said. "That's all we want to do, right? So please, let's try this out, and if it turns out to be nothing, then we'll try something else."

Nick looked up at her big lavender eyes. He could feel her plea on his skin and smell it in the air. He found it harder and harder to maintain eye contact, and he felt the uncomfortable urge to fidget.

 _These new developments have to knock it off already._

"Ah, fine, whatever, Fluff, we'll try it your way," he said after a few moments, trying poorly to mask the pout in his voice. "But I want an extra blueberry pastry in the morning if I'm signing away my night to stare at a laundromat."

Judy giggled. "So that'll be what, four tomorrow, then? You better watch the sweets, Wilde, I can't have you lagging behind me."

Nick found a mite of his confidence again, and laughed with her. "Please, Carrots, you could use the handicap. You know I run rings around you."

"Whatever you say, dumb fox," she said, her eyes playful. "But really, I appreciate it, Nick. I know stake-outs suck, but if this works, we'll really be ahead of the game."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Nick groaned. "I just want night to come so we can do this before I change my mind."

"'Atta boy, that's the spirit! Disheartened resignation, exactly the attitude the ZPD strives for," she said, making her way out of the cafe. There was a new spring in her step, and her ears bounced as she stepped out onto the sidewalk.

Nick took a long swig of his coffee. It was the perfect temperature now: not too hot to burn his mouth, but still hot enough to warm his bones as it went down.

"I like to think I can be enthusiastic sometimes," Nick said.

Judy had turned around to face him, and was now walking backwards. "I suppose that's true, but I'm keeping an eye on you," she said. "I expect a certain level of aloofness and disinterested charm from you at all times, so you better keep it up."

"Whatever you say, Carrots."

"See, that's the spirit! Now, let's get back to the station. We've got to pick our ride for the stake-out."

"I'm definitely picking this time. You have absolutely no taste in cars. Last time you picked it almost made me ashamed to be your partner," Nick said.

"Hey, that car was really nice!" she retorted. "It was pretty and blue and had a nice radio."

"Carrots, when one of the ways you positively describe a car is by its color, that's proof you have no taste whatsoever."

"Oh, like yours is any better. You're just gonna pick something gaudy and ugly from the 1970s."

Nick looked honestly shocked. "Hey, I'll have you know the El Cowmino is a timeless classic, whether you're willing to admit it or not."

"I'm definitely picking the car. You'll pick something so obvious it'll be a dead giveaway."

Nick pondered a moment. "Okay, but only if I get another pastry tomorrow."

His partner shook her head, and pointed at his stomach. "You'll get four, and you'll like it. I can't have you getting sick tomorrow from overeating."

"Wait, I was already going to get four. So you're saying you get to pick the car and I get nothing in return?"

She smiled sickly sweet, her eyes closed and her cheeks dimpled. "That's what I'm saying."

Nick sighed; he clearly wasn't going to win this. "Fine, Fluff, whatever you say, you get to pick the car."

Judy did a little hop in the air, fists pumping in victory. "Geez, Carrots, have some respect for the badge," Nick teased.

She stopped hopping, feeling a little more aware of her surroundings. "Heh, whoops. Got a little carried away," she said.

Nick shook his head and smiled. "Nah, go nuts. Far be it from me to spoil your fun."

She looked up at him and nodded. "Well, if you insist." She began dancing her way to the cruiser, shaking her tail to an imaginary beat. Nick's eyes trained on the little tuft of fur poking out of her uniform; watching it bob back and forth may have well been a hypnotist's watch dangling in front of his face. His chest felt warm, and it had nothing to do with his coffee.

The pair hopped in their respective seats. Soon, they were on their way back to the precinct.

"So, Carrots," Nick started, doing his best to sound nonchalant. "You seemed to know Mr. Cotton back there pretty well."

"Really? We've only spoken a few times," Judy replied.

"C'mon, it was obvious," he said. "'Oh, Officer Hopps, may I call you Judy? I'd say we're past formalities now, wouldn't you?'" He spoke quickly in a high-pitched voice and in his best impression of a bad Zoo York accent that he could.

Judy snickered. "Nick, you know he doesn't sound like that."

He laughed along with her. "He might as well have. Geez, I thought I was smarmy, but now? Not even close."

She gave him a look that reminded him of school when he was a kit. "Be nice," she said, doing her best to sound like her mother. "He's a nice guy, and he's willing to help us out. Besides, I… sympathise with him."

Nick stopped. "What do you mean, sympathise with him?"

She felt his eyes on her and was struck with a bout of bashfulness.

"Well, you know..." she began, not quite sure where she was headed. "It's like what he said back at the cafe. He can sort of understand what it was like for me as a bunny officer, and I can sympathise with him not being taken seriously as a hare. There's a, uh, level of understanding there that not a lot of other mammals have."

Nick's face had confusion written all over it. "What are you talking about, Carrots, I understand exactly what you went through. I was there."

"I mean, sure you do, but you're just one mammal," Judy replied, the awkward tension in the air refusing to dissipate. "And you're my partner, so we share basically everything already. It's just nice to, I don't know, have someone else to talk to about it I guess."

"Oh, I see," Nick said, posing with the back of his hand against his forehead. "I'm just not enough for you, am I Officer Hopps? I can't serve your needs, so you're casting me aside like yesterday's news." His voice was inflected with all the theatrical talent of a 4th grade musical.

Judy giggled. "C'mon, you know what I mean."

"Yeah, sort of, anyway," he said, shrugging. "Do you know you can trust him, though? I mean, he's still a reporter, Carrots. He's got to be working an angle here, it's what reporters do."

She swerved to get into a turn lane at the last second, eliciting a cacophony of horns from behind her. She wasn't about to let traffic get in the way of her mood again.

"So let me get this straight," she said. "The ex con-man is suspicious of a hare whose job is literally to tell the truth?"

"Yeah, but when do newspapers actually tell the truth?" Nick said. "You should see some of the slop that gets printed in the News Herald."

"Look, Nick," she said. An edge had crept into her voice. "Do you think I would talk to this guy about this stuff without looking him up first?

Nick sputtered. "I-uh, I mean, that's not what I meant-"

"No, I wouldn't. I've done my research, Nick, and he's a good guy and a good reporter. His stories have lead to a lot of lives changing for the better, and he's been more than respectful of my position with the ZPD."

Nick shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

They'd stopped at a red light. Judy took the opportunity to face her partner "I know you're just worried, but please trust me on this. I know he's smarmy, and I know his job is to gather information, meaning he's going to try to steer our conversations where he wants them to go. I appreciate your concern, but I'm an officer just like you. I can handle the flattery from one reporter."

"Ca-Judy, I didn't mean that you couldn't handle it, I just… I don't know," Nick said, stumbling through his words. He struggled to meet her gaze. _Oh god, there's those big lavender eyes again._ "You're my partner. I have to watch your back."

She smiled at him. "And you're my partner, so your concern has be duly noted." She pulled out an invisible note pad and began writing in the air on it. "Note from Nick," she said, waving her hand through the air in script. "Cam is a smooth-talking flatterer who is probably looking for his next story. I shouldn't take what he says at face-value." She punctuated the imaginary sentence with a flourish.

Nick smiled weakly, and pulled out his own imaginary pen and paper. "Note from Fluff," he began. "She is a strong, resourceful bunny cop who isn't about to let some slick reporter pull the wool over her eyes, and her partner should trust her more." He pretended to put his imaginary notepad in his pocket, patting it for emphasis. "How's that?"

"Thank you, Nick," she said. She broke out into a smirk. "By the way, you called me Judy again."

Nick facepalmed. "C'mon, Carrots, you gotta be less observant. Throw me a bone, here," he said.

She grinned. "No way, you're not getting off that easily. Now, I was thinking about the car I was going to pick. What are your opinions on red versus an off-white?"

Nick groaned. It was going to be a long drive back to the precinct.


	3. Chapter 3

"Hmm, you know, I just can't make up my mind," Judy said, rubbing her chin. She carefully eyed each choice with all the shrewdness of a bazaar trader. "There's just so many options. I think I have to run through each one again."

Nick had his face buried in his paws, and was uttering a pathetic whimper every few moments. "Please, Carrots, I am literally begging you. You're trying to decide between the colors of the car. I promise you it doesn't matter."

Judy refused to take her squinting eyes off the vehicles at the ZPD impound lot. Although they hadn't gotten clearance from Bogo yet, Judy was confident enough with Cam's information to head to the lot to pick out a car for the stake-out. Now, with the sun beating down from the peak of the sky, Judy stood in front of several nondescript, medium-sized sedans. One was white, another was a dark blue, a third was a dark red, and a fourth was an auburn orange. The pair had been reviewing cars for nearly twenty minutes.

Nick removed his head from his paws and looked up, only to see Judy scanning over the same four cars again. "I swear I will never ask for another thing from you for as long as I live if you just pick a car," he pleaded.

"Well hold on, I haven't decided yet!" Judy huffed. "We have to take safety configurations into account, too. Those are just as important as the color."

Nick returned to studying his paw pads close up, his whines getting more and more frequent.

The attendant at the impound, a portly beaver in a loose tie, just sat at his booth, lazily flipping through a magazine. "Hey," Judy called out to him. "How long do I have to choose?"

"Honestly, officer?" the beaver called back. "Ain't no skin off my tail, take as long as you like."

Judy beamed. "Thank you!" she called out, and resumed her careful analysis.

"Roberto, c'mon, don't be that way!" Nick called out to the attendant. "There has to be a time limit or something!"

The beaver squinted at Nick. "Remember when you cheated me at cards a few months back?" he called out, basking in his victory. "Yeah, consider this payback, Wilde."

"Hey, I pulled up my sleeves! It's not my fault there were five aces in the deck!" Roberto had resumed perusing his magazine. "Roberto, please, help me out here!"

"Sorry, can't hear you," the beaver replied, shutting the window at his booth.

"Wow, you genuinely are pathetic when you're bored, you know that?" Judy said, turning to her partner.

Nick found a chair and flopped back into it. "Well, my phone died because I forgot to charge it last night, so I'm literally watching my life pass before me in an impound lot."

Judy rolled her eyes. "You could help me, you know."

Nick perked up. "Wait, that's an option? I thought you were picking."

"Oh, I am definitely picking. I still value your input, though, as obnoxious as you may be sometimes."

He rose from his chair and walked over to her side. "Alright, so what are we thinking here?"

Judy rubbed her chin. "At first I was feeling the red one, because you know, red is really cool." Nick nodded sagely, playing along. "But then, I remembered that red is the most common color car to get stolen, and I don't want to arouse suspicion. Then I started thinking white, because white is boring, but a white car would stand out the most in night. Right now I'm leaning toward the dark blue one. It'll be well concealed for a stake-out."

Nick did his best to indulge his partner, although it bothered him that he couldn't tell if she was being serious or just messing with him. "What about the orange one?" he asked. "What are your thoughts on it?"

"Oh, nothing really, I just liked it because it reminded me of a carrot."

Nick's jaw dropped, dumbstruck. "Wait, are you serious?"

Judy doubled over laughing. "No, you dumb fox, of course not," she said between giggles. Nick's face broke into a frown before a cheeky grin overtook it. "Did you really think I'd consider a car just because it reminded me of a carrot?" she asked.

"I'm not sure, you know how you bunnies can get," he said. His shoulder reflexively flinched, anticipating the impending punch.

Sure enough, a tightly coiled bunny fist soon found its mark on Nick's arm. "Bunnies get punchy after getting repeatedly teased by smug foxes. Surely you've learned that by now?"

"What can I say, I'm a slow learner," he said, rubbing his arm. "Now, if you're being serious about the car, then a dark blue would help us be a little more concealed than the others, although I can't imagine that matters."

"Hey, you never know," Judy replied, indignant.

"My vote is for the the white one," he said, pointing at a homely sedan. There were fringes of rust along the wheel well, and the blocky headlights and hard lines told onlookers it was at least 10 years old. "That model is one of the most common on the road, so it definitely wouldn't stand out."

"Really? One of the most common? But it's so…" Judy struggled to find the right word.

"Ugly?" Nick asked.

His partner shuddered. "I was going to say well-worn, but yeah, ugly."

"Well, it's definitely not sold on account of its looks, that's for sure. It's safe, affordable, and has a lot of trunk space."

"Wait, how do you know that?"

He chuckled. "I owned one for years before I decided to ditch the hassle of a car in the city."

Judy looked up at her partner. "You're telling me that you owned something like this when you were hustling people?" she asked, incredulous. "I figured you had something much cooler."

"One of the first rules of my old life was don't draw attention to yourself," he said. "Driving a boring car, especially one that looked so plain, helped quite a bit."

"I guess that makes sense," she replied. She pondered a moment more, before crossing her arms definitively. "Well, I've made up my mind. We're definitely taking the dark blue one."

Nick pinched the bridge off his nose and sighed. "Carrots, after everything I told you, why would you still go with that one?"

"Because the white one is too ugly. Also, we'll blend in."

"I thought you were going to take my opinion into account?"

"I did, and then I threw it away when I reconsidered just how ugly the white one is," she said.

Nick harrumphed and went back to sulking. "Hey Roberto, we'll take this one," Judy called out to the beaver. Roberto simply gave her a thumbs up, not taking his eyes off his magazine. "Keys will be here when you're ready to head out," he said.

"Carrots, don't you think this is a little premature?" Nick asked. "We haven't even gone to Bogo yet for clearance for the stake-out."

Judy started walking back to the cruiser. "I'm not worried. He told us to make this a priority, and we've already got a lead," she replied. "It might take some convincing, but I'm sure he'll go for it."

* * *

"Well, you don't need to convince me," Chief Bogo said. Nick and Judy were sitting in his office. Judy was prepared to argue her case, but the words never left her mouth. "Wait, really?" she asked.

Bogo looked up from the paperwork he was finishing. "Yes, Hopps, really. You found what sounds like a solid lead, and are immediately following up. Did you think you'd have to wear me down?"

Judy and Nick looked at one another. "Well…" Judy began.

Bogo sighed. "I hope I'm not such a hardass that two of my best officers automatically assume that I'll shoot down a promising opportunity to get ahead in a case." He looked up from his paperwork, and his eyes narrowed at the pair. "I presume that's not what either of you thought."

Nick gulped. "O-of course not, sir."

"Well then, it looks like we have nothing else to discuss," the chief replied, brandishing a cordial, if a bit chilly, smile. "Just make sure you both fill out the overtime papers that I'm sure this operation will put you on."

"Sure thing, Chief. We'll do it first thing tomorrow morning," Judy said.

At that moment, the door burst open and Fangmeyer stood in the entrance, panting. "Chief, we may have a few… issues out at Tundratown," he started. He glanced between Nick, Judy, and the chief. "Oh, uh, whoops, sorry. Didn't know you were busy."

"Never mind that, Fangmeyer, Officers Hopps and Wilde were just leaving," Bogo said.

"Wait, aren't you guys supposed to be on patrol?" the wolf asked, cocking his head to the side slightly. "What are you doing back here?"

Before Nick or Judy could say anything, Bogo spoke up. "They brought up a few concerns about their route, which have been dealt with,. Now, the real question is what are you doing here in my office, instead of where you were assigned for the day?"

Judy and Nick took that as their cue to leave the office. As they closed the door behind them, they overheard Fangmeyer start, "W-well, you see Chief, it's like this…" Bogo sat in unamused silence. The door shut with an ominous click.

"I'm really glad not to be Fangmeyer right now," said Judy as they made their way down the stairs.

Nick chuckled. "How is that different than any other day?"

Judy laughed with her partner. She started toward her desk. "I'm gonna see what I can find in records about this John Woolenstein guy," Judy said. "I figure we've got some time to kill before the stake-out."

Nick shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah, that's true. What time do you think we should get there?"

"Not sure, definitely after nightfall, though." Her phone buzzed with a text message. She quickly pulled it out of her pocket. "Oh, that's the information from Cam," she said. "I'll go through this and see if there's a time that the mammals have shown up to the laundromat regularly."

"Alright. I'll help you go through those records, then."

Judy nodded, and the pair headed for their computers. Nick made a note to make some thermoses of coffee; it was going to be a long night.

* * *

Nick and Judy crept up about a block from the laundromat, careful to keep an eye out for anyone that would be wary of the car. The clock read a little after 9 p.m., and the cloudless sky opened up a view to a full, rising moon. The lights of the city drowned out most of the stars in the sky, leaving only the brightest visible to the naked eye. Judy killed the engine while Nick poured her a cup of coffee from his thermos. She laid her seat back a bit in a facade to show her composure, but the light tapping of her feet gave away her anxiousness.

Baobab Avenue had seen better days. Boarded up windows and broken-down cars dotted the streets, and everything had a strange orange glow from the incandescent street lights. Nick peered into the darkness around him; he knew the neighborhood well from before he was a cop. Every day, it seemed like there was a new business venture that less-than-scrupulous men like Nick had been could take advantage of. Sitting in his police uniform, watching the corners that he once hustled on, gave him an uneasy feeling in his stomach.

"You ever been on a stake-out before, Carrots?" Nick handed her the cup and began pouring himself some coffee.

She shook her head and took a careful sip from her cup. "Hasn't really been an opportunity for it since I've joined, and you've been my partner for most of the time that I've been on the force."

He nodded. "Well, don't worry your fluffy little tail. They're mostly boring, to be honest. Lots of sitting around doing nothing without a guarantee of any action."

"Wait, you've been on a stake-out before?"

He drank deep from his cup and sighed as the warmth of the brew went down his throat. "Yeah, a few times here and there. Mostly just keeping an eye on a property that some associates were interested in, seeing who went in and out, that sort of thing. Surveillance, I guess."

"And what did you tell your 'associates?'"

He shrugged his shoulders. "The truth, although occasionally I might have popped out to give a mammal or two a warning about what they were getting into." He winked at his partner and tapped his chest. "Heart of gold in here, scout's honor."

"Well, that's reassuring, I think," Judy said. She pulled out a manilla folder with the photos that Bogo had shown them when he assigned the investigation.

"I want to go over this one more time," she said. Nick rolled his eyes. "Okay, one more time," he said.

The photo showed an otter, a spotted hyena, a white stoat, and a boar exchanging stacks of cash next to a nondescript brick building. It had been taken about 10 blocks from Baobab; why the mammals met where they did was still a mystery to Judy.

"We don't have any names to go off of, but Cam said that four mammals matching these descriptions have been seen around this laundromat," she said. "Although we should keep a close watch on anyone else coming at this hour, if we see any of these four then it confirms our suspicions."

Nick chuckled. "Okay, thank you, Ms. Narrator, I think I get it."

"C'mon Nick, this is serious."

He put his paws up in surrender. "Relax, Carrots, I know. We might as well settle in, we've got some time to kill."

* * *

Nick glanced at the car's clock. _Quarter past eleven. Geez, this could not be going any slower._ The foot traffic on Baobab had all but dwindled to only the most nocturnal mammals. A few stragglers here and there stumbling out of bars were the only company the pair had on the worn down street.

Judy had been glancing at her phone, browsing various social media sites. From where Nick was sitting, it looked like she'd been bored the whole time.

"Hey, Nick," she said, putting her phone away. "Can I ask you something?"

Nick drained the last of his third cup of coffee; he knew making a large pot was a good idea. "Sure, Carrots, shoot."

"Remember how Clawhauser was asking me about dating this morning?"

Nick coughed a bit as the coffee went down the wrong pipe. "Uh, yeah. Why?"

"Well, I never hear you talking about any dates, either. I figure you know the city pretty well, so you'd know where to meet people."

"Carrots, are you asking me to help set you up with someone?"

She shook her head vehemently. "Oh, no, nothing like that, I was just wondering if, uh, you were seeing anyone."

Nick cringed. "Fluff, remember how I said I wasn't a big fan about getting grilled about my personal life either?" His words came out a little harder than he'd meant to, and he could see the tiniest glimmer of hurt in her eyes.

"Oh, right, sorry," she backpedaled. "I wasn't trying to pry or anything, but we don't have to talk about it if you don't want." Nick could tell she was doing everything she could to keep her ears from drooping.

He sighed. "No, Carrots, it's alright. I just… I've just been on my own for a while. Been busy, you know?"

"Busy with what? No, sorry, that's a dumb question."

He barked a single, dry laugh. "Relax, you don't have to be so uptight." He shook his head. "Damn emotional bunnies…"

"You better watch yourself, I'm giving you a pass this time."

He leaned back in his seat and smiled, though it faltered quickly. "And I don't know, busy with work, I guess. I was so focused on making and saving money, I never really had any time for a relationship. Don't get me wrong, there were dates here and there, but nothing ever long term."

"What were you saving up all that money for?"

He laughed loudly. "Honestly? I don't even know. I had a pipe dream once to build an amusement park for predators, but it was just that; a pipe dream. It was silly. Really, I think I just liked the idea of having more money than I did the previous day."

Judy's eyes widened. "I don't think that sounds silly!" she said. "Nick, that sounds like an amazing idea. What would it have been like?"

"Well, I had this idea that the park could be for predators to go a little wild, you know? Let go of the trappings of society a bit, go down on all fours, chase something, stuff like that." He carefully eyed his partner; Nick was patently aware of what he was describing sounded like. "That's… not weird, is it?"

"I don't think so," she said. "I bet a lot of predators would like a day where they could run and cut loose. Besides, it would've been a few hours at a park; it's not like it would be dangerous or anything." She paused and smiled at her partner. "I bet you'd have been a great amusement park owner," she beamed.

Nick felt his heart in his throat. "Aw geez, Carrots, you're gonna make me blush."

"You still could, you know," she said after a moment. "I mean, I'm sure you've got a lot saved up. It's not like you couldn't still open a park."

Nick shrugged. "Yeah, I might down the line, but dreams change, you know?" he said. "I was actually considering going with Finnick about 10 months ago to check out loan options to see how much a down payment would cost."

She paused. "Wait, you were seriously going to do it? What stopped you?"

"Nothing stopped me, Carrots. I think Finnick got tied up with something that day. We tried rescheduling, but a few weeks later, I met you, and soon I was signing up to be a cop. Priorities shift, you know? I'm your partner, and, well, I guess that's more important now."

Judy was silent, and her ears drooped. She turned to him slowly. "Nick… did you change your dreams because of me?" Her voice was very quiet, and the effort to keep it from breaking was obvious.

Nick looked at Judy and felt his heart breaking in his chest. He'd only seen her cry once before, and it was under the bridge when she apologized during the Nighthowler case. Sweat was beginning to bead on the fur of his forehead. "Carrots," he began slowly. "I-I didn't change my dreams because of you, you changed my dreams. No wait, that doesn't make any sense…" He stumbled over his words, struggling to find the right ones. "You, I mean, look. I didn't give up on anything because of you. Meeting you gave me a better dream. Yeah, I might have been a great amusement park owner, but you made me into a better mammal. That's worth a lot more than being a theme park carney."

He swallowed heavily, and the pads on his paws were clammy. Despite the cool night, he felt like he was baking in an oven.

Judy sniffled once. "Y-you big dumb fox," she said, straining to keep her voice together. She reached her arms out to Nick and embraced him. "W-we're on a mission, dammit, you can't make me get all emotional on an official investigation." She was mumbling into his uniform, and he felt little damp spots where her eyes were.

Nick slowly placed his arms around Judy, and held her there. "Did I, uh, say something wrong? Hopps, talk to me, I'm sorry if I sai-" That was all he could get out before she pulled out of his embrace and landed a solid punch on his shoulder for about the fifth time that day. "Cheese and crackers, Carrots, what'd I do? And easy, I'm gonna bruise there at this rate."

Judy laughed weakly and wiped her eyes. "You didn't say anything wrong, dummy," she said. "And that was the only way I'd get your attention to make sure you understood that."

Nick rubbed his shoulder, trying in vain to soothe the dull throb. "You could have used your words, you know. I have functioning ears."

"Yeah, but that wouldn't have been as fun," she replied, gathering her composure.

An awkward silence fell over the car like a flurry of snow. Nick didn't like it; he was always able to talk with Judy, but after a moment like that, he was at a loss for what to say. He cringed when he recalled their moment on the skytram, after he told her about his incident with the Ranger Scouts.

"Thank you, Nick," Judy said. "For sharing that, I mean. Really, thank you." Her eyes, more indigo than lavender in the low light, smoldered with a quiet determination as she gazed at her partner.

Nick was caught off guard by the sheer purity of her eyes. He felt his stomach drop again, and his throat was dry. He found it difficult to make eye contact, instead choosing to look around the car rather than directly at her. _C'mon, this is your partner. You can't get flustered every time you talk to her like this._ "D-don't mention it, Carrots. I figure I gotta open up about my backlogs of boarded up feelings sometime."

He paused, trying to think of a way to shift the conversation away from him. "What about you, Fluff? You ever change your dreams?"

Judy shook her head and smiled. "No, much to the frustration of my parents, believe me. Ever since I was a kit I dreamt of being an officer with the ZPD. I guess when I got to Zootopia, I wanted to make this huge difference, but now I'm just kinda happy to serve on the force, you know?"

"Well, duh, it's because you've already made a huge difference, remember?" he laughed. "It sounds like you made your dream, then, Ms. Hotshot ZPD Officer."

"Yeah, I guess I did. And you're just as hotshot as me, buster, don't pretend like you're not."

The pair shared a chuckle. Nick went to pour himself another cup. A young couple strolled past the car on the opposite side of the street, seemingly glued together at the hip. The man whispered something in his companion's ear, causing her to break into a fit of giggles. Nick turned his head to Judy, who looked torn between keeping watch and absentmindedly looking out the window.

"Hey, Carrots, if you reached your dream, what's your new one?" he asked.

The question pulled her out of her trance. "Huh? What do you mean?"

"Well, you're an officer of the ZPD now. You made it, dream accomplished. What's next for Judith Hopps?"

"I'm going to forget that you called me that," she warned. She looked into her cup of coffee in her lap for a few moments, stuck in thought. "And, I… I guess I never thought that far. Becoming a police officer was all I ever wanted. I've just been taking it day to day ever since I got to the city."

Nick eyed his partner. "Not really thought about the future much? Can't say I blame you. You're in a good place, you should bask in it for a while," he said. He reclined his seat even further. "Take it from someone who never took the time to sit back and relax a bit."

"I mean, I know my parents will expect me to settle down at some point, have some kits of my own, do the whole 'family' thing, but I've never really seen that as a future for me, you know?" she asked.

"Geez, Carrots, tell them to get off your back," Nick laughed, staring at the ceiling. "You're plenty young, you've got more than enough time for that if you're ever so inclined."

Judy chuckled along with her partner. "Don't talk like you're some dried up old codger, Nick. You're not that much older than me."

"I'm over 30, Fluff. I might as well be a zombie as far as the city is concerned."

"Well, if being 30 means you can still be a kickass partner for the best bunny cop in Zootopia, then 30 sounds pretty alright to me," she said, a victorious note in her voice.

"Hah, first, I'm 32, but I appreciate the vote of confidence," he began. "Second, you're the _only_ bunny cop on the force. So by default, you're the best." Still reclined in his seat, he turned to his partner. "And third, thanks, Hopps." He gave her a warm smirk.

"Don't mention it, old man-oh my gosh" she began, before breaking into a hybrid whisper scream. "Nick, are those the guys?" She gestured to the laundromat, where three mammals, a boar, a spotted hyena, and a stoat were walking. It was definitely the same three from the photo, though the otter was nowhere to be found.

Nick ducked low, and Judy followed suit. "Holy crap, Carrots, your reporter friend actually came through," he whispered. She shot him a triumphant grin. "I told you this was a good lead," she said.

The pair did their best to keep a low profile on the three mammals. The boar was toting a duffle bag along with him. While the boar and the hyena were walking confidently, the stoat seemed to be keeping his head on a swivel, and jumped whenever he ran into a trash can. The boar turned and grunted at the noise; the stoat froze ramrod straight and started walking forward again. The hyena shot the boar a dirty look before heading inside.

Nick turned his gaze back to the photo; sure enough, the stoat was rubbing his hands in it, and seemed to be looking around. "Looks like he might not be fully onboard with this," he whispered to Judy, who nodded in agreement.

The three walked into the laundromat without fanfare. Nick and Judy could see well enough from where they had parked their car, but if the three went into the back of the restaurant, they'd slip from view. Inside, it seemed like a bighorn sheep and come forward and greeted the three.

"It's Woolenstein. You think this is just a friendly visit?" Nick asked, and was swiftly met with a stern shush from his partner. The boar took off the duffle bag and opened it for the ram, who looked to be nodding. For the next few minutes, things were quiet while the four made conversation, though the stoat didn't seem to be speaking up much.

"Shoot, why didn't we think to bug the place before we got here?" Judy asked, turning to Nick.

"Uh, duh, because that would have been a dead giveaway. If that ram is involved in something like this, he'd definitely be able to smell out a wire," he replied.

"Maybe, but if we'd been subtl-" she said, when suddenly the hyena grabbed the ram by the collar and lifted him off the ground. Judy's eyes widened; the boar was apparently talking, and she could practically see the stoat quivering.

"You think the hyena is hired muscle?" Nick asked.

"Not sure, definitely a possibility. We could check to see if Woolenstein had any known accomplices that were male hyenas."

"Uh, Carrots, that hyena is definitely a woman."

"Wait, what? How do you know?"

"Hyena chicks are much bigger than the guys. Trust me, they definitely run the show."

In the laundromat, the hyena had put Woolenstein down, who promptly scurried to the back of the laundromat. When he returned, he brought something small, rectangular, and black and handed it to the boar. He flipped through it; it looked like a small notebook to Judy. The boar seemed pleased, and handed the duffle bag back to the ram, who snatched it away and nearly tripped over himself as he ran to the back. The hyena raised her paw, and the three departed from the building.

Judy and Nick's eyes trained on the three the whole time, but when they stood outside on the sidewalk, the stoat froze and looked directly at the car. The officers ducked down below the dash as quickly as they could.

"Oh no, do you think he saw us?" Judy whispered, her voice barely audible. The night was extremely quiet, and she could hear the faint sound of conversation from across the street. Hushed tones were exchanged for a few seconds before Judy overheard a masculine voice say "Go check it out," followed by the sound of very heavy paws coming toward the car.

Her eyes widened to the size of dinner plates, and her heart was pounding out of her chest. Nick felt his paws shaking; they couldn't turn the car on and gun it; that would definitely give it away that they were spying on the laundromat. He tried frantically to think of something, but his mind was stuck in panic. The footsteps drew nearer, and Nick estimated the hyena was only about 20 feet from the car.

"Nick, whatever you do, just follow my lead," Judy breathed. "Trust me." Nick wasn't sure what she had in mind, but he nodded.

The hyena was only a few feet from the car, her hackles raised. Standing nearly six feet tall, Beth was a force to be reckoned with. If someone was spying on her and her associates, she knew what she'd have to do, although she doubted Peter would like it. When she got to the window, though, she couldn't help but chuckle to herself. A bunny was straddling a fox in a heated kiss, seemingly unaware of her presence. "Damn kids," she muttered before knocking on the glass. The bunny looked up and gasped, wide eyed; the fox's shirt was opened and he seemed to be panting. The rabbit got off him and rolled down the window. "Uh, c-can I help you?" she asked.

Beth smiled and bared her teeth a bit; she always got a kick out of spooking prey. "Yeah, this ain't a street for lovebirds, especially no bunny and no fox. I suggest you two beat it."

"Yo, who is it?" the boar called from across the street.

"Nothin', lemme handle this, just relax," the hyena called back.

"S-sorry, we thought the street was deserted, and we just couldn't wait until we got back to the apartment," Judy said, putting on the most convincing dumb bunny act she could muster. "You know how it is." She laughed nervously.

"Don't tell me nothin', when it's clearly something, now who the hell is it?" the boar yelled again.

"Just two kids neckin', now shut up and get to the car!" Beth screamed back. The boar huffed and started walking away, while the stoat made his way up to the hyena, looking both ways across the empty street before crossing.

"H-hey, are you sure it's nothing? I mean, I feel like being wary is probably a good idea right now," he said, halfway across the road.

Nick flinched, only guessing what hellfire the hyena would rain down on the little stoat. Beth, though, didn't scream at him, and instead picked him up in her arms. She gestured to Judy and Nick through the window with her free hand. "Look, pumpkin, it's just two kids mackin' on one another, not unlike what we do now and again." She punctuated the sentence by affectionately nuzzling the stoat between the ears, causing him to shudder. "Now just trust me, it's nothing." She scratched his cheek, and he let out a strangely anxiety-ridden purr.

"Now then, you two, get lost," she said, returning her attention to Nick and Judy. "And have a little patience and just wait till you get back to your apartment. You don't wanna get hit with an indecent exposure charge, trust me," she said, a barking laugh escaping from her lips.

"O-oh, right, sure thing, right sweetie?" Judy said, turning to Nick.

"Uh, yeah, of course! Let's get back to my place, Carrots, w-we'll continue this, um, there."

"That's the spirit," Beth said, smiling before her face turned darkly sinister. "Seriously though, get the hell out of here before I change my mind." She made a point to show off her fangs again.

"Y-yes ma'am," Judy said and put the key in the ignition. The engine roared to life, and the pair pulled out of their spot and sped away.

"Are y-you sure we should have just let them go?" Peter asked as Beth set him down. "What if they saw something?"

"Relax, Pete, a damn bunny and a fox rippin' the clothes off one another ain't nothin' to be worried about. And even if they did, all they saw was a few mammals goin' into a laundromat. What's to tell?"

"I guess, but I'm still worried about it," Peter said, rubbing his paws together. "It just feels like we're so exposed, you know?"

""Oh, I'll show you exposed," Beth teased before spanking the stoat on his butt. Even in the darkness, she could tell a crimson blush was blooming underneath his white fur.

"Hey, c'mon," he whined. "Not in public…"

She looked around and laughed. "What public? Ain't no one here but us." She crouched down and nuzzled him again. "Also, you notice how that fox called the bunny 'Carrots?' How come you don't have any nicknames for me?"

Peter sputtered. "D-do you want me to give you a nickname? I thought you'd think it was cheesy."

"Nah, I definitely want a nickname," she said, showing off her teeth in a smile. Peter gulped. "And order me around once in a while, it gets a little old bein' in charge 24/7."

Peter's jaw hung slack momentarily before he shut it. "Seriously? Me order you around?"

She shrugged and stood up. "Hey, I'm still a girl, and a girl likes to be taken care of once in awhile."

He stood up a little straighter, and offered his paw to her. "O-okay then, um, kitten, let's get back to the car. The, uh, night's still young." To Beth, it seemed to be more of a question than a statement, but she grinned and took his paw. "Sure thing, Pete. Kitten, huh? I like it, bet it grows on me." They pair started walking back to where Raul had parked their car. "Oh, and Pete?"

"Yeah, Kitten?"

"If you ever order me around or call me Kitten in front of Raul, you will literally wake up dead, understand?"

She felt his paw tighten inside hers. "O-of course, Kit- Beth."

"That's my little man," she said, and scooped him up in her arms. "Now, what were you saying about the night still being young? Because I'm pretty wired and that bunny and fox goin' at it gives me a few ideas…"

Peter could do nothing but whimper excitedly.

* * *

Judy was speeding, that much was obvious to them both, but neither had said anything. They were about 15 blocks from the laundromat, but she still hadn't let her foot off the gas. "Hey, Carrots, I think we're good now," Nick said finally, clutching at the safety handle inside the sedan. Judy showed no signs of relenting. "Fluff!"

"O-oh, right," she said, gently applying the brakes. The car coasted to a cruise before they stopped at a red light.

"That…" Judy began.

"Yeah, that was… something," Nick finished. His shirt was still unbuttoned, but be didn't care enough to refasten it. He was having a hard time thinking straight; the soft texture of Judy's lips pressed frantically to his, the subtle scent of fear tinged with excitement, and the sensation of her paws rubbing against his chest was so fresh in his mind. He felt like a brick of clay, and the mark left by Judy's kiss was still imprinted into his mouth.

"Nick, I'm sorry about what I did," she began. "I couldn't think of any oth-"

"Fluff, relax, i-it's okay," Nick breathed. "It was really smart; I was frozen like an idiot when I heard that hyena coming over."

Judy felt her cheeks and ears burning. She turned away from Nick, looking at the floor. "Yes, well, it still wasn't professional of me, and I couldn't ask your permi-"

"Judy," Nick said, touching her shoulder. She jumped at the touch and looked at her partner. "I said it's fine, we got out safe. It was quick thinking. You did good. _We_ did good."

She struggled to maintain eye contact. "A-alright, Nick, thanks." She exhaled a breath she didn't realize she was holding in, and felt the stress begin to leave her taut muscles. "We really got out of there, didn't we?"

Nick laughed. "Hah, hell yeah we did. Very well played dumb bunny routine, by the way. That hyena bought it hook, line and sinker."

She found herself giggling along with him. "You too, that whole 'Oh, yeah, let's get back to the apartment,' was pretty slick yourself."

The pair quickly found themselves graduating from subdued snickering to being doubled over in laughter, completely ignoring the green light in front of them. The tension of the moment unraveled quickly through their heavy breaths in between bouts of hysterics.

"O-ow, oh god, it hurts to breathe," Judy giggled, clutching her chest. Meager hiccups persisted well after what they were laughing about stopped being funny.

"Ah, I'm right there with you, Carrots," Nick said, wiping his eyes. "Oh, man, I think I really needed that." He glanced up at the light; it had turned back to red while the pair were laughing. "Hah, what was it that hyena said?" he asked. "'You don't want an indecent exposure charge?' How ironic would it have been if two cops got busted for it on a stake-out."

"They'd never hear the end of it," Judy said. "Man, the heat that Bogo would throw at them would be insane."

Nick wasn't paying attention, though. He was zoned out, staring at the dash. "Hold up, Carrots. "Her exact words. She said, 'You don't want an indecent exposure charge, trust me.' That's exactly what she said."

"Yeah, that's what the hyena said," said Judy. "I got it."

"No, Fluff, you're not getting it. She said 'Trust me.'"

"Yeah, but so wh..." she said before stopping himself. "...Nick, she said 'Trust me' Like she's been there before."

Judy's foot started tapping excitedly, and Nick's mouth broke into a wide grin. "If she's been there before, we'd have records of it. I can't imagine there's too many hyenas with an indecent exposure charge who's close to a white stoat."

"And if there's records of it, we'll get a name!" Judy exclaimed. "Nick, that's brilliant!" She threw her arms around the fox, squeezing tightly. Nick was a little dazed at Judy's display of affection, and tentatively put his arms around her.

He wanted to laugh with her. He wanted to tightly embrace her back. He wanted to gently rub her ears and stroke her cheek, and he wanted to hear her gasp when he smiled and showed off his fangs. More than anything he wanted to feel her lips with his again. Nick felt himself screaming in his head to do many, many things, but his muscles felt locked up, like a machine with a wrench jammed in between the gears. Instead of what he felt himself want to do, all he could get out was a quiet, "Heh, easy, Carrots, ribs still hurt from laughing."

Judy pulled back and grinned sheepishly. "Oh, sorry Nick, got a little excited." The light turned green for the second time while they were sitting there, and she pulled out and began heading back.

Nick could almost picture a small Finnick on his shoulder, shaking his head in disgust. "What the hell you doin', Nick," mini-Finnick asked. "Don't lie to yourself and say you ain't got any feelings for this bunny."

 _Oh, right, like I'm gonna take advice from you when you're 4 inches tall._ _Never imagined you'd get tinier, but here you are._ Nick retorted in his mind. He didn't realize just how sassy his inner monologue had become.

"You ain't gotta take the advice, you just gotta listen," mini-Finnick said. He hopped up onto Nick's snout and poked him between the eyes. "You haven't felt this way about anyone for as long as I've known you, now quit actin' like an idiot and denying what you already know."

Nick swatted at his snout, and mini-Finnick vanished into a puff of smoke. Judy scanned over her partner. "Uh, Nick? What are you doing?"

He stopped swiping at the air on top of his snout, suddenly aware that Judy was still very much driving directly next to him. "Oh, um, fly," he said, eyes shifting left and right. "There was a fly in here."

"I didn't hear any fly."

"I guess I imagined it, then," Nick said. Internally, he smacked himself in the forehead. He knew how weak that sounded. "I'm actually pretty tired, Carrots, starting to hallucinate and stuff."

A look of concern flashed across her face. "Tell you what, why don't I just drop you off at your place and I can take the car back myself," she said.

Once again, the tiny creatures that turned the cogs in Nick's heart tried to direct him toward refusing. _Tell her you're fine. Don't look weak in front of her, you're better than that._

"I… thanks. I'd appreciate that."

 _Moron._

Judy made her way to Nick's dilapidated building. He unbuckled himself and stepped out of the car, his body more liquid than solid. "Hey, since we technically just got off the clock, I'll asked Bogo and he said it'd be fine if we came in a few hours later," she called out to him through the window. "I'll be over tomorrow morning; I'll text you the time later tonight. Get some sleep, okay?"

His hand limply made a poor facsimile of a salute. "Roger that, Officer Fluff. Have a safe drive back."

She nodded once, and pulled out, bound for the precinct.

Nick trudged upstairs to his apartment, each step feeling heavier than the last. He wasn't sure where this tiredness was coming from, or even if it was just an act he'd put on so well for

Judy that he believed it himself. He fumbled with the key in the lock, and cringed when he stepped on his obnoxiously loud squeaky floorboard. Peeling off his clothes in the kitchen, he made his way to the shower.

He yelped when he was scorched by steamy water. He coiled up against the back of the tub, trying to avoid the blistering streams blasting out of his showerhead. He looked and saw that yes, he'd turned the hot water handle, and yes, his apartment manager _had_ fixed the hot water heater, perhaps a little too well. He turned the cold handle, and what had felt near-boiling was now provided a soothing warmth as it cascaded down his body.

He sat in the shower until he lost track of time. The drops of water from his snout stopped getting counted at around 350, and the body wash remained untouched in the corner. Images of bunny muzzles frantically meeting his and his shirt buttons getting undone danced through his mind. Efforts to think of anything else proved fruitless.

He could tell the water was steadily losing its heat. Sighing, he stepped out of the tub and into his bathroom-turned-sauna. He toweled off slowly, missing a number of spots he didn't care to fully dry. The bathroom door open and steam flooded into his living room like a tropical fog.

His bedroom door lie open, and he threw on some boxers that had been draped over the corner of his bed. One spot on the back of his thigh immediately wet the fabric, but Nick hardly cared. Flopping down onto the bed, tiredness fought to overtake him, but the engine of his mind was flooring it.

Unconsciously, he raised a paw to his lips. The felt dry and harsh. One of his fingers made it's way onto one of his fangs, which he poked at gingerly. Still razor sharp, just like always. He pictured Judy feeling the same fang, and her visage flickered between excitement and panic.

An arctic hare strolled into the scene, and opened his mouth, showing off the dull teeth inside. The dream/hallucination Judy felt his teeth, but showed no panic, just breezy joy. Judy removed her hand and stroked his cheek. As the pad of her paw gently touched the corner of the hare's mouth, Nick felt his heart fighting to claw out of his chest. No amount of forced squinting could remove Judy's and the hare's mouths from inching closer together.

Nick's window was open; a cool breeze blew in from outside. His ceiling fan turned lazily; he still couldn't help but feel clammy and sweaty, seeing Judy nuzzle up to the hare. Rubbing his eyes, he struggled to replace the hare with himself. The hare slowly shifted into an amorphous blob, and coagulated into a portrait of himself, decked out in his Hawaiian shirt, orange tie, and brown slacks. Dream-Judy cocked her head and resumed tentatively stroking his cheek.

His heart refused to back down, but what had been an erratic pattern settled into a regular, albeit frantic, rhythm. Every time Dream-Judy moved her muzzle closer to his, he could feel the fur on his tail stand on end, and his mouth would go dry.

"Well," Dream-Judy said. "What are you waiting for?" Nick's mind compelled his conjured image to close the distance between his snout and Judy's. Right at the moment of contact, everything vanished and Nick sat up, panting heavily. He hadn't even realized he was breathing hard. Glancing at the clock, the numbers 2:23 mocked him from behind the plastic. He had yet to find one wink of sleep. Laying back down, the phantom sensation of Judy pushing him to the floor of the car, undoing some of his shirt buttons, and pressing her lips to his immediately replayed themselves.

He stared at the ceiling, the drab tan swirling in mockery of his sleepless night.

"Aw, cheese and crackers."


	4. Chapter 4

**(A/N: Thank you everyone for the lovely reviews, favorites, and follows. I haven't written fanfiction in a very long time, and seeing such positivity fills me with determination. Big shout outs to my editors, Rennaku and Shipping Mammals for helping me make my chapters into the best ones they can be. Also, shout out to eightspartans for keeping my lazy butt on schedule.)**

The fickle mistress of sleep never truly found her way to Nick that night. At one point he remembered staring at the 3:17 on his clock and closing his eyes. When he reopened them, it was 3:41. He nearly wept tears of joy, cherishing those 24 minutes like someone deserted on an island flagging down a plane.

Nick desperately craved sleep; he started counting off the unspeakable things he'd do for a few hours' rest in his head instead of sheep, but that only kept him up further. Powder-grey bunnies in meter maid uniforms danced through his mind, their little tails bobbing back and forth while they handed out tickets.

 _How had I never noticed her tail before…_ he thought. _It's like a little cotton ball, but fluffier, like a cotton ball made of yarn. I bet it feels like cotton candy and sunshine. What does sunshine even feel like anyway? Well, warm, I guess, but what would it feel like to grab? Probably like Judy's tail. Yeah, definitely like her tail. Man, it's so fluffy, like a little cotton ball, but if a cotton ball was made of yarn or something. Not like a ball of yarn, though…_

Nick's circled around sunshine, cotton and fluff for several minutes before mini-Finnick was once again conjured on his bare chest, shaking his head. "Nick, Nick, Nick," he chided. "What on earth happened to you, man? Look at you, you look like garbage."

"Appreciate that, friend. You look even smaller than usual."

Mini-Finnick started slowly walking up Nick's chest. "You know, sarcasm is often used to deflect from things that someone don't wanna discuss," he said, ethereally passing through Nick's hand as he tried to swat him away. "That wouldn't happen to be what's goin' on here, would it?"

"Oh, right, like I'm gonna bare my soul to a four-inch tall imaginary hallucination of my best friend at," Nick paused, glancing at his alarm clock. "4:18 in the morning. Yeah, not happening, sorry." Nick rolled over onto his side, sending mini-Finnick cascading over the edge of the bed. He soon reappeared, floating in front of Nick's snout.

"Don't act like you got other stuff to do. You been lyin' here for hours, and all you can do is think of that bunny's butt."

Nick huffed, indignant. "Hey, don't paint me like some kind of creep. I've been thinking of a whole lot more than her butt, like her nose twitching, and her fuzzy ears, and how she smiles really wide when she beats me at handing out parking tickets, and-"

"But you have been thinking of her butt."

"I mean, like once or twice, tops," Nick said, rolling over on his other side. He realized he was pouting. _Well, I'm having an argument with my own imaginary construct of my best friend who I haven't spoken with in months at almost 4:30 in the morning,_ he thought. _I've probably earned the right to pout._

Mini-Finnick reappeared in front of him once again. "C'mon, Nick, I ain't even real and I know that you are seriously sick."

"Oh, yeah? Sick with what?"

"Sick with the nastiest case of repressed feelings I've ever seen, and you know there ain't any point in denyin' it."

"Just watch me," Nick said. "I absolutely have no feelings for Judy, and I'm definitely not jealous of that hare. See? Just denied it."

"Hmm, what hare would that be, Nick? I didn't mention no hare," mini-Finnick said. "What was his name again? Oh, damn, I can't seem to remember it… It's on the tip of my tongue…"

Nick groaned. "C'mon, Finnick, don't do this."

The pint-sized apparition rubbed the scruff of his chin, deep in feigned thought. "No, no, I almost got it. Chris Cotton? No, that's not it. Cody Cotton? Nah, close…"

Nick stuffed his paws in his ears, but he could still hear Finnick in his head.

"That's right, Cameron-"

"Just shut up, Finnick."

"-Cotton. Cameron Cotton is who you're jealous of," mini-Finnick concluded, the smug look he and Nick would practice staring the tired fox in the face.

Nick sighed, and flopped his head back against the pillow. "Finnick, why are you doing this? You're my friend, you supposed to have my back."

"Ok, first off, I'm not real, I'm a construct of your own paranoid delusions. You're doing this to yourself, moron, so if you wanna complain, take it up with yourself," mini-Finnick began. "And second of all, is that what we are, Nick? Friends? Cause friends don't up and ghost on someone for 6 months."

"Oh, what, you're my shoulder angel now?" Nick asked. "Cause you're way too violent to be an angel, but your ears are way too big and floofy to be a devil."

"You know if you told the real Finnick that, he'd beat your wholesale ass with a smile on his face and go home with the good Lord in his heart."

"All the more reason to say it now, bud," Nick retorted.

The pair paused, glaring at one another. Despite being less than half a foot tall, mini-Finnick's trademark scowl still managed to incite more than a little discomfort in Nick.

"We… are still friends, aren't we?" Nick asked after a few moments.

Mini-Finnick shrugged. "I don't know, genius, you tell me. You haven't talked to me in months, and remind me again why?"

"Duh, I'm a cop now. You _hated_ cops, and I up and ditched you to become one. Why the hell would you want to talk to me?"

"Man, you're somehow even dumber than I remember," said mini-Finnick. "You think I care about you bein' a cop? I ran with you for twenty years, Nick. You think I'm so shallow that I'd ditch you because you went clean?"

Nick shut his eyes. Not one square inch of his bed felt remotely comfortable. He felt itchy, like he was lying on a stack of dried hay.

Still refusing to look at mini-Finnick, he took a deep breath, processing his thoughts. "You wouldn't be ditching me, you'd be… making a smart business decision," he said finally. "No con man wants to be friends with a cop. I made my decision, so I have to live with it."

Mini-Finnick shook his head and slapped Nick across the cheek. Despite Nick being magnitudes larger than him and mini-Finnick not actually being real, the fox's cheek stung. "Man, you have to cut this 'woe is me' crap off, you're bumming me out," mini-Finnick said. "And what's with this fake selfless act, huh? I know you wanna see me, you're just looking for a cheap excuse not to because it'd be hard."

Nick rolled over and buried his head in his pillow. "Please, Finnick, I just want to sleep."

"Nick, you did the hardest thing I've ever seen you do when you went off to try to be a cop," mini-Finnick said quietly. Although Nick couldn't see him, he knew the look of disappointment he was wearing on his face. "If you can do something like that, why can't you come talk to me?"

He groaned into his pillow and pushed himself up on his paws. Sleep tugged at his eyelids, weighing them down like dumbbells. His exhaustion had pushed him into a state of exasperation. "Because I'm terrified, alright? Is that what you wanted from me? I'm scared, petrified, however you wanna put it. I'm scared you're gonna hate me. Scared you'll reject me. I'm just so…"

"Ashamed?" mini-Finnick offered. He was hovering next to Nick, concern dancing across his muzzle.

"...Yeah. Ashamed, I guess. Ashamed I ditched you."

"How do you think I feel?" mini-Finnick asked. "My best friend finally does something in his life, and here I am hustling the same group of lemmings from the same bank for the same cash every day."

Nick looked at his friend, and smiled for the first time since he'd come back to his apartment. "I'm really sorry, Finnick."

The four-inch Fennec just shrugged. "Hey, don't tell me, I'm just a figment of your whacked out imagination. Man, you just had, like, a ten-minute conversation with yourself. You need help, my friend."

Nick lay back onto his pillow, the sheets feeling somewhat more comfortable, and yawned. "Thanks, Finnick, I'll keep that in mind."

"No problem, man. Now get some rest, you still look like garbage."

Nick closed his eyes and drifted away, mini-Finnick fresh in his mind.

* * *

Sharp knocks at his front door did their best to rouse Nick from his sleep, but they couldn't break down his will to stay exactly where he was. He was vaguely aware of a knocking noise in his dream, but chalked it up to a gonging clock tower as he and Finnick kneeled in some bushes with binoculars, keeping a close eye on Judy and an unseen companion.

"나는 당신이 실제로 이 번역 구글 믿을 수 없어," dream-Finnick said, waving his arms wildly. Nick wasn't even sure what language that was, be he was pretty certain the real Finnick didn't speak it.

Outside the front door, Judy huffed. She didn't want to cause a ruckus and be a bother to Nick's neighbors, but the stubborn fox was leaving her with little option. She gave one last set of loud raps on the obviously plywood frame. "Nick, Bogo said we could come in late today, but I texted you the time I'd be here, and I don't want to wait much longer." She put down her parcels of coffee and pastries and grabbed his house key out of her pocket. _I get him four blueberry Danishes, and this is how he thanks me?_

Turning the key, she gently pushed her way inside the dingy apartment. She grabbed the bags and cups from outside the door and rested them on his kitchen counter. She didn't hear any water running, so she figured he was either drying off or still in bed. She inched toward the slightly ajar bedroom door, deftly avoiding the squeaky floorboard that her partner complained about constantly. "Nick, c'mon, you know how much I hate being late," she called out. Nick's ears twitched, but he simply rolled onto his back without stirring. Dream-Judy was laughing at some joke told by her companion. It looked like he had big, bunny ears.

Judy had made her way to the door, and pressed her ear against it. Barely audible, she heard the steady sound of Nick's breathing and his fan lazily spinning above him. She rolled her eyes and gently pressed on the door, heading into the room.

"Nick, I'm not your mother, now pleas-" She froze. Nick was laying haphazardly over the sheets in nothing but his boxer shorts, which had somehow gotten pulled down dangerously low in the middle of the night. His peaceful, lithe frame lay still, and she could see his cream-colored chest rise and fall with each breath. His ears twitched once, and his tail was splayed out away towards the window. Her eyes tracked from his head, down his chest, and to his abdomen. She started staring even lower, but turned away before her curiosity got the best of her. Her fists clenched down at her sides, arms straight with embarrassment. "N-Nick, please get up, and get some clothes on, you're not decent," she stammered out. She'd seen Nick in various states of undress before, like when he'd stumbled home from a bar after a rough day at work or at Francine's pool party, but never like this.

Nick felt ripped out of his dream, leaving foreign-dream-Finnick behind, right as Judy and her unknown friend with large ears started walking towards a movie theater, holding each other's paws. He blinked, slowly becoming aware of the world around him. His chest and waist felt cold, but it was a gentle coolness, like eating a popsicle on a warm day. Turning to his right, he saw Judy with her back toward him.

"Oh, hey Judy, what're you doing here?" he asked. The words out of his mouth could have made for a perfect impression of Flash.

"Nick! Put some clothes on!" she yelled.

The sudden increase in volume snapped Nick to attention. He looked down his body and saw his boxers dancing on the precipice on decency. A wave of self-consciousness crashed into him, and he frantically pulled up his briefs. Jumping out of bed, he searched from some shorts to throw on, but was coming up empty.

"Judy! What are you even doing in my room?" he hissed, digging through the discarded treasure of dirty clothes on his floor to cover himself up.

"I've been knocking on your door for the last five minutes, and your lazy butt was still in bed!" she retorted. _Nick's lazy butt. Hmm, his butt…_ she thought. _No, no, bad Judy. No thinking of your friend like that. Do not!_

Nick finally found his prize: some basketball shorts he'd discarded to the floor several days ago. He smelled them. _Hmm, still serviceable,_ he thought. Pulling them over his legs, he turned to his partner. "Okay, you can turn around now."

She slowly turned her head to see him barechested, but at least reasonably clothed. "Thank you," she started. "But we really need to get going, I don't want to be late."

Nick waved her away with his hand. "Relax, Carrots. Buffalo Butt said he could come in late today. I intend to make full use of that after last night."

"But Nick, we're already really behind schedule!"

He walked past her towards his bathroom. "And I'm sure a couple more minutes for a morning shower won't do us any harm."

She fumed at her partner. "Nick, after how you made me get you up, I don't really thi-" she said, but was silenced but a wad of basketball shorts hitting her in the face and falling to the floor.

Nick arched his neck to look back at her, shaking his tail a little. "Don't get any funny ideas, Carrots," he said, and closed the door behind him.

Judy's face turned pink from the blush spreading across her face at Nick's shameless display and from the indignant bunny fury building inside her. She heard the water turn on, followed by a yelp from either a very cold or very hot fox inside the bathroom. Smirking at his discomfort, but still very upset with him, she sat down in the kitchen and grabbed her coffee.

It was at the time Nick was scrubbing his back that it dawned on him what he'd just done. He dropped his brush, and it clattered loudly on the shower floor. _Holy crap. I practically undressed in front of her. I threw my shorts at her. I joked about her joining me in here._ His mouth was agape, and the water cascading down his head and into his mouth caused him to choke a little. _What the hell was I even thinking?_

He recalled the kiss they shared in the stake-out car last night. All the feelings from the previous night came rushing back.

Stooping to pick up his brush, he began to scrub himself again. _I just have to play this off like no big deal. Nothing is awkward, just a joke. You're cool. You're Nick Wilde,_ he told himself. _You got this._

A towel was soon wrapped around his waist, and as he stepped out into his living room, it became immediately apparent that he did not, in fact, got this. Judy jumped a bit at hearing the door open.

"I, uh, got you a coffee and those Danishes," she said

Nick froze. "Oh, thanks, Carrots. I was kinda kidding about those pastries, but I appreciate it."

"You were definitely not kidding about them."

Nick rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, alright, you caught me."

His towel began to slip from his waist. He made a mad grab at it and kept it in place, much to the amusement of Judy.

"Tell you what, why don't you get changed and then we can talk," she said.

"Right, yes! Changed. Definitely something I should do," he replied, still standing in the middle of the living room.

A few moments passed, and she was staring at him with anticipation. "Well?" she asked.

"Oh, yeah, I'll, uh, be right back," Nick said before scampering into his room and closing the door behind him.

"Great job, Wilde, smooth as ever," he muttered to himself as he opened his closet. Staring at empty space, he remembered his clothes for work were currently on the floor of the kitchen. A defeated sigh fled from his lungs, and he trudged back into the living room, where Judy was holding up his discarding uniform. "Forget something, early bird?" she asked.

He said nothing as he took the walk of shame to grab his uniform and head back into his room. Judy smiled and shook her head, returning to her coffee.

The shirt felt wrong on his body with all the wrinkles; he had always been immaculate about his appearance, and the sight of the crinkled blues in his mirror made him cringe. He threw on some slacks, accepting his lackluster appearance for the day. _Probably earned it after a night like last night,_ he thought, grumbling to himself.

Stepping back into the living room for the fourth time, he looked to Judy with haggard eyes. She was holding up a bag and tapping her foot. "Okay, you're dressed. Now can we please get to the car?"

Nick said nothing and walked up to the counter where a cup with a little 'N' was inscribed on the top. He snatched it up and took a long, hearty sip, letting out an exaggerated sigh once he'd swallowed it. "Okay, now we can go."

She rolled her eyes and hopped off the stool and practically bolted out the door. Nick followed behind her at his own pace.

Nick was eating his pastries in silence, and an eerie quietness had settled over the pair as Judy drove to the precinct. After nearly choking on a particularly large bite, he offered one to her. She declined.

After a few moments, he spoke up. "Hey, uh, sorry you had to find me like that this morning. I didn't exactly sleep well last night, and I guess I was more tired than I thought I was."

Judy gave him a quick glance before returning her eyes to the road. "It's alright," she said, though the little waver in her voice told Nick otherwise. "Do you, um, always sleep on top of the covers? Seems kinda cold."

"Not all the time," he replied, trying to keep his tone steady. "It was pretty warm in my room last night, I was roasting."

"O-oh, right," she said. "Are you alright? I know you weren't feeling great after last night. You can take a half day if you want."

He looked at her with wide eyes. "N-no, no, I'm feeling great!" he lied. She turned to him with her big lavender eyes, and he felt his insides buckle under the pressure. "I mean, Carrots, I just had a rough night, I promise. It doesn't have anything to do with the stake-out. I just wasn't feeling great, that's all." He hated to lie to Judy, but he was definitely not prepared to have anything resembling the conversation it looked like he was steering towards.

She spied him warily, but it seemed to Nick like that was good enough for her.

He smiled as best he could, and took a bite out of his pastry to keep himself from opening his mouth again.

Judy was doing her best not to think of Nick walking away from her, his shorts pooled on the floor. "Alright, so we have a lead," she said, trying to change the subject. "How exactly do we go about pursuing it?"

Nick looked at her, and his inner detective started turning the cogs in his head. _Work. I can focus on work._ "We're pretty confident she had a public indecency charge against her at some point," he said. "It should be an easy matter of getting down to records and searching it up."

"Don't you think that could take a while?" Judy asked. "You know how bad the software in records is."

"Oh, damn, you're right," Nick sighed. "Well, it probably won't go quickly, but it's a sure fire thing. I think we just have to suck it up and deal with those crappy Windoes 98 monstrosities."

That earned a giggle from Judy. Nick stood up a little straighter and smiled at the sound of her laugh.

The pair slowly pulled up to a red light when yet another taxi cut them off to take the spot in front of them. Judy's mood instantly vaporized from cheer to rage. "Nick…" she seethed. "How is it that mammals assume it's okay to cut off a squad car?"

Nick fought the urge to laugh with questionable results. "I don't know, Carrots. I mean, you have such presence on the road. How could anyone miss you?"

"One day, Wilde," she began. "Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but some day, I am going to punch you so hard I'll be written up for it."

Nick gulped; he was immediately struck with the instinct of self-preservation. "Heh, my bad, Carrots, won't happen again." He prayed the apology was enough.

She stared him down with narrowed eyes before letting out a grunt of approval. "Yeah, that's what I thought," she muttered before breaking out into a grin. "Did I really scare you?"

"Uh, duh, Hopps. You put fear into me I haven't felt since my mom found out I was forging hallpasses and selling them in the 8th grade."

"I've been working on my bad cop routine in case I ever have to interrogate a suspect," she tittered. "So, I take it that the work's paying off?"

"Yeah, you could say that," Nick chuckled. His heart rate was slowly going back to normal after being filled with primal fear. _Man, what would my ancestors think. A fox being scared of a bunny. Or a fox falling in l- no, nope, nu-uh. Definitely not what I was going to think._ Mini-Finnick was summoned in his mind, shaking his head. _Knock it off, Finnick. Now's not the time._

After advising Judy to just sip her coffee and try not to verbalize the curses she was putting on rude taxi drivers, they made it to the precinct without further issue. As they walked into the main lobby, Clawhauser waved at them frantically, a half-eaten donut hanging precariously from his mouth. Judy gave Nick a questioning look. He just shrugged. "Let's go see what he wants," he said.

"O-M-Goodness, how did it go, you guys?" Clawhauser asked when they approached the desk.

Nick and Judy looked at one another. "How did what go?" she asked.

"C'mon guys, you can tell me," Clawhauser said. He leaned in as close to them as his belly behind the desk would allow. "I know you both went on a stake-out last night. How did it go? What were you guys doing?"

They both froze. "I don't know what gave you that idea, but we weren't on a stake-out," Judy said slowly, her nose giving a mild twitch.

"We were just assigned a night patrol by the Chief," Nick said. He felt the urge to rub the back of his neck, and the itchy sensation from the previous night was back with a vengeance. "Some stores had been vandalized in the middle of the night recently over on 16th, and he wanted us to keep an eye out for anything suspicious."

"Yeah, it wasn't really anything special," Judy chimed in.

"C'mon you guys, I can tell you're fibbing," Clawhauser said. "Judy, your nose twitched, and Nick, you only call the Chief 'Chief' if you're hiding something."

The pair gawked at their portly friend. Bogo's words echoed in Judy's head. _Part of being an officer at my precinct is considering all available options._

"Yeah, you both have tells, and yeah, I know them," Clawhauser said, smirking at the pair. "I may not be that fast, but you can't get anything past ol' Benjamin Clawhauser." Nick noticed he sat up a little straighter in his seat when he spoke.

"Alright, you caught us, Benji," Nick said, defeated. Judy stared wide-eyed at her partner, waving her arms trying to get his attention. "You wanna know what we were doing?" Nick asked.

Clawhauser gasped. "Oh, do I!"

Nick leaned in closely to the cheetah while Judy stood in fear of what her partner's next words were.

"Well, we got a special meeting with Bogo yesterday, and it was really important," Nick whispered excitedly.

"No way, what did he say?" Clawhauser asked. He'd brought his paws up to his cheeks and was listening intently.

"Well, there was a secret government agent in Bogo's office. We could only address him by the codename Agent Six."

"Wait, are you serious?" Clawhauser asked. The box of donuts on his desk was completely forgotten.

"Dead serious, buddy," Nick replied, his voice hushed and steady. "Old Number Six had a very discrete mission for Carrots and me, but it came with one very steep price."

Judy had to turn away and cover her mouth to prevent her snickering from reaching Clawhauser's ears. She wasn't sure exactly where Nick was initially going, but she was definitely interested in where it would end.

The world had all but vanished to Benjamin Clawhauser, and he was hanging on every syllable out of Nick's mouth. "What? What was the price?"

"Are you sure you want to know?" Nick asked. "They say knowledge is the heaviest burden of all."

"Yes, Nick, pleaaaaase, I want to know!" he pleaded. "I can handle it, I promise!"

Nick leaned in until his face was mere inches from Clawhauser's. "The price was," he began. "That anyone we told would have to be killed. That means you, Benji." Judy watched as the cheetah's eyes started widening as the weight of what Nick just said came crashing down on him, and was soon replaced with the embarrassment of someone who knew when they'd been pranked.

"Niiiick, c'mon, that's not funny," Clawhauser whined, his lips curling into a pout most unbecoming of a ZPD officer.

Nick simply shrugged. "Sorry pal, but there's actually nothing to tell. I just had to have a little fun."

"So you guys really didn't have a stake-out? Nothing happened last night?" Clawhauser asked. His face fell as he spoke. "But, Roberto said that you guys got a car from the impound lot. Shoot, I really thought I had figured you guys out."

Judy's heart went out to Clawhauser as he picked up another doughnut. _I have never seen him look that sad about to eat a doughnut before._ She felt a compulsion building inside her to do something for him.

"Well, you were on to something," Judy said. It was Nick's turn to gawk at his partner. "We were out pretty late last night."

"Really?" he asked. Judy heard his tone brighten almost immediately. "What were you doing, then?"

"There's a bar downtown that Nick likes, and he offered to show me around. Don't tell anyone, but we used a car from the impound lot to cruise around the city. Think you can keep a secret?"

Nick smiled at his partner through the bit of guilt from teasing Clawhauser. He hadn't meant anything by it, he was just trying to change the subject away from the stake-out. _You did a better job than me, Carrots._

Clawhauser was positively beaming. "Oh, of course I can keep a secret, Judy!" he said. "Oh, look at you two, absolutely precious. So how was the date?"

Nick would have choked on the air he was breathing if he could have. His mind started racing, but to Judy's credit, she kept her cool. "Relax, it wasn't a date, it was just two friends grabbing some drinks and food, right Nick?"

Friends. That word hung in Nick's ear like a rowdy, drunken bar patron, refusing to leave even after his friends beg him to. "Y-yeah, it wasn't anything like that, Benji. Judy just needs to get out more so I offered to show her around."

Clawhauser leered at Nick. "Oh, yeah? What bar was it?"

Nick hadn't really gone out much lately. He wracked his brain, trying to think of a hole in the wall that Clawhauser wouldn't think anything of. "The, uh, Sleeping Lion, out on Candelabra Boulevard," he said after a few moments. He prayed those few moments wouldn't be enough of a giveaway.

"Oh, I've heard of that place," he said, satisfied with Nick's answer. "I think it has good reviews. Kind of dingy, though, if you ask me. Judy, I'll have to take you out to some _real_ clubs sometime."

"Hey, it's certainly not 'dingy,'" Nick retorted, feeling strangely indignant that the bar he'd lied about going to was being besmirched in front of him. "And I'll have you know we had a great time."

"Well, the offer still stands, Judy," he said. He looked up at the clock on the wall. "Oh gosh, I've wasted too much of y'alls time," he said. "The Chief is gonna have it in for you for being so late."

"Relax, we've accrued a little overtime here and there. Already cleared it with Bogo," Judy said coolly.

"Oh. Well, I guess I'll see you guys around lunch, or whenever you're gonna eat," Clawhauser said.

"Sure thing, Benji, see you then," Nick replied. He began walking towards the pair's work station, and Judy followed swiftly behind him.

He let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, man, that was quick thinking, Carrots," he said as soon as they were out of earshot. "I must be rubbing off on you."

"Please, I've always been that smooth, or don't you recall your felony tax evasion?" she replied. "I was hustling you from the day we met."

"Oof, really wounding my pride there, Fluff," Nick said. "Alright, so we heading down to records?"

She nodded. "Once we get that name, we can report to Bogo and figure out our next move."

The duo made a beeline away from their desk and toward the stairs going down to the basement. Judy had only ever been down to records once before, and the sudden lack of foot traffic once they headed downstairs proved a stark contrast to the hustle and bustle of the lobby. Eventually, after nearly getting lost, they found the records room. Shelf upon shelf of cardboard boxes full of manilla file folders lined the walls, and a few computers that Nick estimated were from the late Jurassic period whirred quietly in the stagnant air. The room was completely empty. They only saw one other mammal on this floor as they were trying to find the room.

Judy sat down at a creaky chair in front of a faded desk, and the silence was soon broken with an overly loud _tack tack tack_ as she input her username and password. They groaned collectively as it took the computer about 15 seconds to finally reach the desktop.

"Ugh, you think they could do with an upgrade of this stuff," Judy said as she tried to open the file searching software. A rotating hourglass mocked them from behind the screen. "This is going to take forever."

Nick was already bored, and the blandness of the room wasn't doing any favors. He looked around, trying to find anything to provide even the meagerest dose of entertainment. A few posters adorned the blank, beige walls, offering up platitudes about the security and integrity of the records room, how preservation of personal information was of the utmost importance, and how everything that went on in the records room was logged.

 _Wait. Everything is logged?_

Nick saw Judy's paws deftly inputting a search to sort for female hyenas and indecent exposure charges. He frantically scanned over the tower for the power button. He reached out quickly and held it down until the screen turned black.

"Nick? What the hell was that for?" she yelled. "Now we're gonna have to wait for that stupid thing to turn on and everything!"

Nick shushed her, and pointed to the poster. "Judy, a log is kept of all the searches that mammals do in here," he whispered. He wasn't sure why he was whispering, but it felt appropriate.

"Yeah, so?"

"So what if they're watching?"

Judy froze up. _There's a mole in the ZPD. If they have access to the searches in records, they'd know if we were looking for that hyena._

"...They'd know we're on to them," she said

Nick nodded, his countenance grim. "We can't use anything here in the precinct, it's too risky. If whoever they have on the inside finds out we're on the right track, the trail will dry up immediately."

Judy was staring into space but nodded in agreement. "I almost blew the whole case, just because I was overeager."

"Carrots, c'mon. If I'd sat down before you, I would have logged in and searched just like you."

"Still, I should have been more careful… that could have cost us the case." She looked down in her lap, her arms limp at her sides.

Nick rested a paw on her shoulder. "It's alright, Fluff. We're partners, right? I got your back."

She turned to him, and the faintest glimmer of a smile danced across her muzzle. "I- yeah, I guess you're right," she said. "Thanks, Nick. For thinking of that, I mean."

"No problem," he said, letting out a sigh. The pair sat there for a few moments. "Hey, let's head back up to our desk. We don't wanna look suspicious down here. Besides, this place kinda gives me the creeps."

"Good idea," Judy said, and they began walking back up to the lobby. At the top of the stairs, they paused at the sight of the dozens of ZPD employees going about their daily routines. Clawhauser was multitasking eating something out of view and typing on his computer. They could see the Chief on the second floor, walking to his office while an ocelot from administrative services kept pace with him, talking quickly. Francine had just walked in the door laughing with Delgato. They could hear Fangmeyer's raucous laughter in one of the breakrooms. Even one of the janitors was busy mopping in a corner by the restrooms.

"Nick…" Judy began. "It could be any of these mammals."

Nick's head swiveled around, taking in just how many mammals the ZPD employed. He knew many of them well, and recognized nearly all of them. _And one of them is selling us out._

Judy scanned the room around the lobby again before closing her eyes and slowly taking in a breath. She exhaled, counting to five as she did. "Okay, the mole could be anyone, but that's not gonna stop us." She turned to her partner. "What do you think we should do? We only have the one lead, and we can't search the databases here," she asked.

Nick was zoned out, though, and didn't hear a word she said. Mini-Finnick once more appeared in front of him, smiled once, and vanished. He waited for the uncomfortable itching sensation once again, but it never came.

She tugged on his uniform. "Nick? Hello?"

He was pulled out of his reverie. "What?" he asked.

"I was asking you if you had any ideas on where to go next."

It was Nick's turn to take a deep breath, but his was laden with an anchor of anxiety, weighing it down as it escaped his lungs. "I think I've got one idea, but I don't like it. You need to stay here, though. I've got this."

She raised an eyebrow. One of her paws shifted to her hip. "What are you talking about? If we're investigating something, I'm going with you." She stepped in front of him, daring him to question her.

"Trust me, Judy," he said. She faltered at the use of her name, and her face softened. "I think it's about time that I go see an old friend."


	5. Chapter 5

**(Author's Note: Wow, 100 favorites. I'm honestly blown away that my little story is garnering so much attention. I can't express how much it means to me for so many people to be reading, critiquing, and enjoying my story. Thank you all so much!)**

Nick checked the clock inside the cruiser. 3:25 p.m. Finnick should be about ready to head to Tundratown to freeze the Pawpsicles, right after melting the elephant-sized popsicle in Sahara Square. He hoped silently that Finnick would still be at the same con that he'd pulled with him months prior.

Nick was parked a block from the clay-tile roofed building that he and his former partner in not-technically-crime always melted the Jumbo Pop. "God, what am I doing here," he muttered to himself. The heat was sweltering despite the AC in the squad car. "Like Finnick is going to want to talk to me out of the blue. 'Hey buddy, remember how I ditched you for six months because I met a bunny who inexplicably made me want to be a cop? Yeah, that was great. Hey, could you help me by snitching on someone you may have heard of?'" He lay his muzzle in the palms of his paws. "That wouldn't work on old me; there's no way it's gonna work on him."

Nick's ears snapped to attention as he heard the unmistakable rumble of Finnick's van roaring near him. He could feel his heartbeat in his throat as the sound of a door slamming echoed around the alley way. The soft and unmistakeable footfalls of Fennec fox paws made his way to his ears.

Nick swallowed hard and killed the engine, stepping out of the cruiser. He could hear Finnick talking just around the corner of the alley. "Yeah, just lift it up like that, right up to the roof. Yeah, man, you got it," Finnick said. Nick stopped in his tracks. _Of course he'd find a new partner. It's not like it was a one-mammal job._

Still, he forced his feet to keep taking each step, despite the concrete his mind was filling his shoes with.

He rounded the corner after several agonizing moments. Finnick was leaning against his van while a large brown wolf was lying a Jumbo Pop up on top of the roof.

"Yeah, that's lookin' good," Finnick called out to the wolf.

"So, what's after thi-" the wolf said as he became aware of Nick's presence. "Oh, damn, it's the cops!" He slid down the drainage pole, but stumbled on the way down and landed on his face. He knocked over several garbage cans once he hit the ground. Nick cringed at the racket the wolf had created. _At least I never tripped up doing that,_ he thought.

Finnick turned abruptly at the intruder, but stopped when he saw Nick. His mouth was agape, and it was several moments before he became aware it and closed it. "Diego, uh, why don't you take a walk," Finnick called out to the wolf, his gaze never leaving Nick.

"Don't need to tell me twice," he replied, picking himself up from the trash cans he landed on. He quickly scurried down the alley and out of sight.

The two foxes stood at a standstill for over 20 seconds, neither making a move or saying anything. Nick felt the pressure pressing in from all sides like a vice. "So, uh, found yourself a new partner, I see," he said finally. "Doesn't seem much for sticking around to finish the job, though."

Finnick slowly started walking toward him. "Yeah, it's funny. Havin' that problem with a lot of my partners," he said.

Nick cringed internally, but began walking as well to meet him halfway. "You ever have any, um, come back?"

They were only a few feet from one another when Finnick replied. "Just this one," he said. His fists balled up and sucker-punched Nick in the stomach. He fell to his knees, wheezing as he struggled to find breathable air. "Just this lowlife jackass who abandoned me seven months ago. Aside from that, naw, no one has come back."

"T-that's unf-fortunate," Nick managed to gasp out, trying to right himself. "I b-bet he feels like crap for ditching you. He'd d-deserve it, too."

"Yeah, he'd better feel like trash for ghostin' on me," Finnick said, scorn thundering in his eyes. He said nothing while Nick got back up to his feet. The two stared at one another for several moments before Finnick exhaled sharply. "Why are you here, Nick? Why do you show up now all of a sudden?"

Nick couldn't help but look at the ground. "I, uh, I mean, we need your help with something."

Rage instantly filled Finnick's face. "You leave me for months and the only reason you come back is 'cause you need help?" he yelled. Nick recoiled, but stood his ground. "You're sick, Wilde. You deserve whatever is comin' to you."

"No, Finnick, I've been wanting to come find you for months, but-"

"Oh, now you _have_ to come find me, that's it? You needed to need to come talk to me before you could actually find your balls to do it? You needed a reason, right?" He turned away from Nick. "That's real low, man. Real goddamn low."

"Finnick, I've been, no, it's just, ugh," he stuttered. "I've… I've been kinda lost without my best friend, and I wasn't sure how to say it."

"Is that what we are, Nick?" Finnick said without turning back around, arms falling to his sides. "Friends?"

Nick felt like he could sink into the ground at any given moment and disappear forever. At least, that's what he felt like doing. "You were a friend to me," he said after a moment. "I wasn't a friend to you, and I'm sorry."

Finnick wheeled to look Nick in the face. The rage had morphed into an uncomfortable mix of disappointment and hurt. "So why the hell do you think I'm gonna start bein' a friend again, huh Officer Wilde? That is what you are now, right?"

Nick shut his eyes, and felt his fists clench. "...Yeah, it's Officer Wilde, ZPD."

Finnick nodded quietly. "I saw the news, you know. First fox officer. Your ugly ass was plastered across the papers for days."

Nick smiled weakly. "Hope they used a good photo."

"Like there's any good photos of you," Finnick replied, a smirk tugging at his lips. It quickly broke and gave way to a frown. "...Why'd you leave me, man? I thought we were partners."

Heartbreak that Nick hadn't felt since he fought with his mother years before ravaged his insides. Tears were forming at the corners of his eyes, and he fought unsuccessfully to keep them in check. "I-I was scared," he replied. "Scared you'd hate me, or quit talking to me because I wanted to be a cop. Scared you'd reject me, I guess." He paused to wipe at his eyes, dampening the fur on the back of his paws.

"You think I'd do that?" Finnick asked, the hurt in his voice taking charge. His big eyes pierced through the remaining shreds of the veil of Nick's composure. "Think I'd hate you because you wanted to do something different? And you ditch me over that?"

Nick choked back a sob. "I don't know, man, I just… I screwed up. Big time." He sat down on the ground, getting eye level with his old friend. "I'm so sorry, Finnick."

Nick's eyes shut tight. He just knelt in front of Finnick, awaiting whatever judgment his friend would pass on him.

"...Never let them see they got to you," Finnick said after a while. Nick opened his eyes, his mouth open. Finnick was sitting on the ground, his paws on his knees. "You always said that. 'Never let them see they got to you.'"

Nick nodded dumbly, not willing to let his mouth ruin whatever Finnick was going to say.

The diminutive fox just sighed. "This got to you, didn't it?" he asked.

Nick just nodded again.

"You're a real dumbass, aren't you?"

A choking laugh erupted out of Nick, and he nodded once more.

"Look, just… quit cryin', at least. You're makin' a fool out of yourself, and embarrassin' me in the process," he said, his brows furrowed.

"Pretty sure making a fool out of myself is what I do best," Nick replied, wiping his eyes of the last few tears. He wrapped his arms around Finnick in a hug, who immediately began struggling against his captor.

"Let go of me, man! You know how I feel about bein' picked up!" He pounded his fists against Nick's head and back.

Nick just laughed and set his friend back down after it became apparent the onslaught wouldn't cease. "Sorry, just had to check and make sure you were real."

Finnick squinted at him. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing, don't worry about it," he replied.

Comfortable silence settled between the two, and Nick saw Finnick smile for the first time in quite a while. "So, Officer Nick Wilde, you actually joined the fuzz," he said. "That bunny must have really got to you."

Nick laughed. "Yeah, you could say something like that."

"She's who you meant when you said 'we,' before, right?"

The laughter stopped when he remembered his awkward reintroduction. "That would be her, yeah. She's my partner."

"You ain't worried about havin' a little bunny as a partner?"

"I'm not worried about her, I'm worried for her. Sometimes I can barely keep up," Nick laughed.

Finnick paused, shifting his gaze away from Nick. "So, uh, what did you need help with?"

Nick stared, lost in space at his words momentarily. "Oh, that! We, um, needed help getting a name for someone. A, uh, suspect in a case we're investigating."

Finnick shuddered. "You're askin' me to snitch?"

Nick shook his head vigorously. "No, nothing like that, not snitching. Just… for reasons I'd rather not get into, we can't use the system at the precinct. All we need is a name and something to go on."

"Knowing everyone in the city was always your bit, Wilde. I can't guarantee I know who you're lookin' for."

Nick pulled a folded photograph out of his pocket. "No, I know, and it might be a longshot, but I don't know who else to turn to." He unfolded the photo. It showed the boar, stoat, otter, and hyena exchanging money. Nick pointed to the hyena. "This hyena, here. Know who she is? I think she's involved with the stoat down here in the corner."

Finnick studied the photo carefully. "Yeah, I know who that is, though you're in some trouble if she's involved." He shook his head and handed the photo back.

"Really? What's her name?"

"It's Beth Crocuta, and that stoat is Peter Pawson. I heard they been together a couple of months, now. The pig is Raul Tuskero, and if Raul is there, then the otter has to be Thomas. They're business partners, or at least I heard they are."

Nick pulled out a pen and a notepad. "Hold on, so Beth, Peter, Raul, and Thomas, right? He frantically scribbled the names down and tried to commit them to memory. "You know anything else about them?"

"Nah, I just know the names," Finnick said, shrugging. "And I'd watch out, man. Beth and Raul are nasty. I heard they put some poor fools in the hospital just for bein' in the wrong place at the wrong time when they were doin' business."

"What kind of business?" Nick asked.

"I ain't goin' near whatever they're doing," he replied. "Money launderin' or something. Whatever business they're up to, I'm staying away, you feel me?"

Nick put the pen and notepad back into his pocket. "Yeah, yeah, I hear you," he said. "I can't tell you how much I appreciate th-"

"Look, if anyone asks, you didn't hear all that from me, we clear?" he asked. The menace in his voice wasn't lost on Nick.

"Of course," he said, and crossed his heart. "Scout's honor."

Finnick laughed. "From conman to cop, yeah, you got honor in spades, my friend," he said and clapped Nick on the back. "Just play this cool, alright? And if you don't, pick a grave near a tree so I can get some shade when I bring your dumb ass some flowers."

Nick rolled his eyes. "I'll keep that in mind, thanks for the tip." Finnick started heading toward the collection jars for the melted Jumbo Pop. "Hey, are we cool to, I don't know, grab a drink sometime or something?" Nick called out to him. Finnick paused, his back turned to him.

"Only if you don't bust me for not having all the permits for this," he replied, turning to face Nick. "Getting all that crap was always your thing, and Diego's a few howls short of a full moon, if you catch my drift."

Nick laughed. "I don't see anything wrong here, just a humble Pawpsicle salesman preparing his wares for the day." That earned a smile from Finnick. "You still got the same phone number?" Nick asked.

"Yeah, it ain't changed," Finnick said, turning back to his jars of sickly sweet red liquid. "Hit me up sometime. If you don't, I know where you work now, and you know I'll come over there and beat that ass for flaking on me again."

"Mr. Finnick Vulparino, are you threatening an officer of the ZPD?"

"I'm gonna do a lot more than threaten if you use that name again, Wilde," he called out. "Now get on back to that fluffball of a partner you got, my friend. I gotta go dig Diego out of whatever garbage can he's eating out of."

Nick started back towards his cruiser. "Sure thing, buddy." As he walked, he fought a growing urge to skip and dance to the car. _My friend. That's what we are._ He got in and turned the ignition, the rumble of combustion shaking his bones. _I guess letting them see they got to you isn't always so bad._

The drive back to the precinct was lighter than normal. If he was cut off in traffic, he certainly didn't remember. Mammals seemed to give him the right of way. Lights turned green right as he was pulling up to them, or at least that's what it felt like. He almost found himself wanting mini-Finnick's presence again when his phone buzzed. He pulled it out and saw he had a text from Finnick.

 _Hey man, was good seein u. Im serious about whoopin ur ass tho if we dont hang soon. Im usually at The Predators Gambit on the west side most nights._

Nick leaned back in his seat and basked in the mid-afternoon sun.

Back at the precinct, he waltzed through the lobby doors with swagger in his step and a smirk on his muzzle. _Hmm, no sign of Judy, though,_ he thought, surveying the room. He walked up to Clawhauser's desk. The cheetah was, for once, not consuming anything, and had his back turned away from the main entrance. "You know, Benji, the chief hates it when we're not fully attentive to the needs of the public," he said.

Over the sound of Clawhauser gasping and the squeak of his wheels as he spun his chair around, Nick could hear the subtle tones of "Try Everything" playing from his phone. Clawhauser faced Nick with what he assumed was his best attempt at a not-guilty expression.

"Update for the Gazelle app come out, buddy?"

The cheetah's eyes darted around before his head slumped forward, nodding in agreement.

"Relax, Benji, I'm not your mom," Nick laughed. "Quit acting like I caught you with your hand in the cookie jar."

Clawhauser rubbed the back of his neck. "Heh, uh, sorry Nick. And you'd be surprised how often that exact scenario happened."

"Somehow, I don't think I would," Nick said with a laugh.

His eyes narrowed at the fox, and he turned his nose up in the air. "Well, there's no need for rudeness, Nicholas. If you're gonna be like that you can just help yourself. Now, if you don't mind, Gazelle beckons." He began to wheel his chair back around.

"You're right, you're right," he conceded, putting his paws in the air. "Can you just fill me in on where Judy is?"

Clawhauser sighed and turned around once again. "I think I saw her headed downstairs. I'd ask why, but I don't want you to have to kill me," he said. "After all, I know y'all are on a _super secret mission._ "

Nick chuckled, but was inwardly cursing just how observant the cheetah was. "Heh, thanks Benji, and don't worry. I'll let you be our awesome tech support guy when we head out on spy missions."

Clawhauser rolled his eyes and returned to his phone screen. "That you may be so generous," he said, wheeling himself around. Nick made his way toward the stairs to the lower level. _Where could that bunny be? She knows we can't access the computers._ He pulled out his phone and flipped to her contact and dialed. It rang a few times before he heard a familiar voice on the other line. "Nick?" she asked. "What's up? How did it go?"

He looked down the drab hallways, trying to figure out where her voice was coming from. The same awful shade of beige echoed down every corridor, broken up only by water pipes on the ceiling. "I'll tell you in a bit, just where are you?"

"Oh! Right, sorry," she said. He heard paper rustling in the background. "I figured since we can't use the computers, I'd go down and try to find information in our actual paper case files. No finding out what I've been through down here."

"Alright, see you in a few," he replied, and hung up. _Clever bunny, always thinking ahead._

He strolled down the hallways, trying to act casual. The giddy feeling in his chest from his meeting with Finnick was making it difficult, however. It didn't take long for him to find the room Judy was in. The sound of crinkling and paper shuffling carried well through the barren basement level.

Judy was sitting down in front of piles of manilla folders. The scene looked more reminiscent of an obsessed stalker than a police officer. "So, Carrots," he began. "You find anything useful so far?"

Judy huffed and threw her arms in the air. "Ugh, no! Do you know how poorly labeled these case files are? Dates are missing, names on the folders aren't correlating with what's inside them, and this has all just been…" she crossed her arms, pouting slightly. "Extremely unhelpful. I was hoping to come up with more than this."

Nick smirked at his partner's misfortunate. "Well, Carrots, you'll be happy to know that all this effort has been for naught."

She looked up at him, and her eyes widened. "What do you me- wait, did your meeting with Finnick go well?"

"Better than I ever could have hoped for," Nick replied. Judy bounded up and hugged him. His knees buckled, and he nearly lost his balance at the sudden show of affection.

"Oh, Nick, that's fantastic!" She beamed at him, the pure, unfiltered happiness in her eyes turning his insides into a teacup ride. "So, you two are back on speaking terms?"

"Uh, y-yeah, we are," he stammered out. He was acutely aware of the fact that she still had not released him. Sirens and warning bells rang out in his head. _This isn't everyday, ordinary affection,_ he thought. _This is… advanced affection._

It dawned on Judy that her paws were still very much wrapped around her partner, and she released him with a sheepish grin. "Heh, sorry, I'm just so excited for you!" She had to stop herself from hopping into the air with glee

Nick rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, you know me, I'm so charming I can wear anyone down," he said. That earned a very dramatic eye roll from Judy.

"What am I going to do with you?" she asked, her paws resting on her hips.

 _Hopefully hug me like that again. No, bad Nick, she's your partner. You're a fox for crying out loud, have a little decency._

His mind lingered on the last thought, and shame began to fill the pit of his stomach like an oil spill. _Decency..._

"Uh, hopefully let me explain that Finnick gave me some information that means we never have to go down into this pit of madness ever again," he replied.

Her ears sprang up at his words, and her nose gave a few faint twitches that were not missed by her partner. "Really? What did he tell you?"

"Well, we've got names," he said, pulling out his notepad out of his pocket.

"Wait, names as in, plural? More than one?"

Nick smirked as he flipped to the page. "Oh yeah, the whole crew," he replied. "The hyena's name is Beth Crocruta, her little companion is Peter Pawson, the boar is Raul Tuskero, and he even got a name for the otter, though just his first name. Goes by Thomas."

A grin spread across Judy's face. "Nick, that's fantastic! I just knew you'd come through."

"Aw, shucks Carrots. Well, I appreciate the vote of confidence," he said.

"And I had _so_ much confidence that I already reached out to Cam to see what he'd be able to tell us about the names that I knew you were going to get!" The unfiltered zeal in her excitement was palpable. She reached into her pocket to pull out her phone, which had just given off a sharp *ding.* While Judy was struggling to contain her anticipation, though, Nick's mood had dangerously decelerated from bashful and proud to sour.

"Hold up a minute, Fluff. Why exactly are we bringing Mr. Reporter into this again? We've got names, let's go act on them."

Judy stopped typing away on her phone, and slowly gave Nick a cautious glance. "...Why wouldn't we, Nick? All we have are names, and without something more to go on, we'll be taking shots in the dark out there. Unless Finnick gave you more information like meeting locations, other associates, or something like that?"

Nick looked at his feet. "Uh, no, all he had were names," he replied, his voice barely above a whisper. "He said that the hyena and boar were bad news, and that he steers clear of them. They might be involved in money laundering, I don't know."

"So, if all we have are names and _maybe_ an MO, and these guys are so dangerous that a hustler like Finnick won't even go near them, then we need another lead," Judy said. Her words were clipped, and her paws had found themselves dutifully returned to her hips.

Nick said nothing for a few moments, but Judy saw his paws clench. "Don't talk about Finnick that way," Nick said, his gaze returning to his partner. She could see hints of menace and hurt in his eyes.

"C'mon Nick, it was just a descriptive term, I wasn't making a comment on what he does," Judy replied. "He's a hustler like you're a cop. It's just a job description."

He remained silent, stuffing his paws into his pants pockets.

Her face softened. "Look, Nick, I wasn't speaking ill of Finnick, I promise. He helped me find you during the Nighthowler case, remember? I owe him a lot."

He sighed. "Thanks, Fluff. I just… get kinda defensive about him, you know?"

"Of course, Nick, he's your friend. It's only natural."

"I still don't think we should bring Cam back into this, though."

 _Nick, this side of you is really starting to get old,_ Judy thought.

She huffed, and her face turned stony. "So let me get this straight," she began, her eyes narrowed at her partner. He noticed the intensity of her scrutiny and began to wither in it like a weed in barren sunlight. "You go off to get information from your contact, revealing information about an internal investigation to an admitted criminal with a sketchy history, and that's just fine." Judy took a step toward him. "But when I try to get information from my contact, an award-winning investigative reporter with a clean record and a history of caring about the voiceless and downtrodden of this city, suddenly that's an issue?"

"N-no, Carrots, that's not wha-" he stuttered.

"Cut it out with the Carrots, crap, Nick. But please, try to explain to me why you going to Finnick for information was okay but me going to Cam for information is a problem."

The walls of the room felt like they were shrinking, ready to crush Nick like a grape at any moment. His frame felt small and insignificant; Judy appeared to tower over him. He backed up a step in spite of his trembling legs. _Just tell her you idiot, you're jealous. She'll understand, she has to. She's your partner, she has a right to know._

A steady _tap tap tap_ reverberated throughout the room as Judy's foot rapped against the concrete floor. "Well? I'm waiting."

 _Just admit it!_

"I… I, uh, I'm sorry, Judy," he managed to get out. "You're right, I'm not being fair. It's not different, I'm just biased in favor of Finnick and against Cotton." He stared at his feet, unwilling or unable, he wasn't sure which, to look her in the eyes. "I'm sorry."

 _You actually can't admit it, can you?_

"Nick, we talked about this, and you promised to trust me more, remember?" she asked, her voice laced with indignation like it was nightshade. "Do you… think I can't handle this?"

"N-no! Judy, of course not!" Nick exclaimed, louder than he'd meant to. His mind was racing. He wasn't prepared for where he feared this conversation was heading.

"If you think I can handle it, then why are you acting like this?"

"I-I, um…" he began. It felt like the dictionary in his mind had been lit ablaze, and all other words beside 'I,' 'uh,' and 'um' had been forgotten. "I just…"

He was interrupted by Judy's phone ringing. She looked at the caller ID before picking up. She put up on finger to Nick. "Hey, Cam," she said. She'd turned away from him, leaving him to wallow in the self-pity she knew he'd earned. "Yeah, we're still on to meet. Yup, I've got some new information that I hope you can help me, er, us, with. Right now? Sure, I guess that woul- oh, like, here? Okay, sounds good. I'll see you in a few." She hung up the phone and put it back in her pocket. "So, you were saying?"

"I wish I had a good reason to give you, Carrots," he said. "But I don't. I don't trust this guy, and even though you do, I can't shake this feeling that he's not going to help us, or that he might be involved somehow, I don't know." He shuffled his feet, unwilling to look Judy in the face. The thunder of his inner monologue blasted in his ears, urging him to tell her the root cause of the issue. "I wish I had something better than that. I'm sorry."

 _Can't even be honest with your own partner._

Judy sighed and shook her head. "Well, apology accepted, I just wish it didn't have to take such an argument to get there," she said. Nick winced. "Look, Cam will be here at the precinct in about ten minutes. I want to go over those names with him to see if he knows anything. I kinda understand where you're coming from, by the way."

He looked up, his eyes wide. "Wait, you do?"

"Sure. Remember what Bogo said? Never eliminate any possibility. I know the chance exists that Cam is somehow involved, which is why I'd like you there with me when we go over these names. Having someone who's distrustful of him might end up being a good thing, so long as you don't push it.."

"O-oh, sure, that makes sense," Nick said. _God, even when you're a total asshole to her, she still manages to come out making the right call,_ he thought. _You don't deserve a partner this forgiving._

"A little skepticism never hurt anyone," she said with a wink. "Okay, so we've got our plan. Let's just hope that he's got something more for us to work from." She started out the room, and beckoned for Nick to follow her. He dutifully caught up, and they walked in silence for almost half a minute.

"You, uh, don't actually mind me calling you 'Carrots,' do you?" he asked, breaking the uneasy stillness between them.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"When we were… arguing. You told me to 'cut it out with the Carrots crap.' Because if it's bothering you, I don't ha-"

Judy laughed quietly to herself. "No, Nick, I don't mind that you call me Carrots. You have nicknames for everyone. It'd be weird if you didn't have at least a few for your partner. I was just frustrated, that's all."

Nick's relief was palpable. "Oh, good. I mean, I would have done it, but not gonna lie, I'd have been pretty sad if I didn't get to call you Carrots or Fluff again."

"If you want to pay me back, I take carrot donuts and spiced lattes as payment from dumb foxes for being dense," she replied, shooting him a cocky grin.

"Hah, duly noted, Officer Fluff," he said. The familiarity of their conversations had returned, but Nick's head was still swirling with Judy's anger from earlier. "Hey, Carrots? Are we, uh, good now?"

She turned to him and stopped. "What do you mean?"

"C'mon, you know," he said, not exactly sure he knew either. "We just had an argument, and it was more or less my fault."

"More or less, huh?"

"Okay, you got me, it was my fault. We're good though, right?"

"I'm still not sure I understand what you're asking." Judy's head was cocked slightly to the side.

"Never mind, don't worry about it," Nick said. He started walking toward the stairs when he felt Judy's paw grab hold of his. "Uh, Fluff?" What are you-"

"Nick, if you're asking if I'm still upset, then the answer is yeah, a little," she said. His eyes turned toward the floor, and his paw went slack in hers. "But if you're asking if one argument changed anything between us, then the answer is of course not, you dummy." A glimmer of a smile spread across her face, and he felt his paw being squeezed back to life. "Now drop the mopey act, I need you on your smuggest behavior for Cam." She kept a tight grip on his paw and lead him up the stairs, his initial embarrassment over being lead by the paw like a kit giving way into resigned acceptance at the eccentricities of his partner.

At the top of the stairs, she released his paw. "Oh shoot, I wanted to gather up some notes I'd taken while you were going to find Finnick," she said, turning to him. "I won't be long, I think I left them at our desk. I'll be right back." Nick considered offering to go with her as she left for their little cubicle, but words like _trust_ and _overbearing_ flitted in and out of his mind, and he thought better of it. Judy had been gone no more than 15 seconds when Nick spied a particularly spry arctic hare in a bowtie and tweed coat come into the main lobby.

 _This'll be the only opportunity I have to confront this guy and get a good read on him before she comes back,_ he thought. Mini-Finnick once again conjured himself on Nick's left shoulder, shaking his head. _She wants me to trust her more, but I can't just let him talk to her without figuring out what he's after. He's after something, he has to be._

Cam looked around the room a few times before noticing Nick. His eyes lit up, and he waved as he briskly walked over to him. Nick have a half-hearted wave back, and stood where he was.

"Officer Wilde, good to see you again," he said once he'd made it across the room.

"Likewise, Cotton," he replied.

Cam looked over Nick's shoulders. "Ah, is Judy around anywhere? She said she had some things about this case you both are on to discuss with me."

"Well, I can discuss them with you, can't I?" Nick asked, his tone unwavering.

"I suppose so, but Judy ha-"

"Tell me," Nick interrupted. "How exactly did you know about this gambling ring when we first talked to you? The ZPD had only just been made aware of it, so how is it a civilian knew about it before us?" His eyes had narrowed, and he had a hard time keeping a low growl out of his voice. Nick had never really done an interrogation before, but he always liked the idea of playing a bad cop.

Cam hesitated before answering, suspicion starting to bloom on his face. "I'm not sure what that has to do with anything, Officer Wilde. Look, Judy said she had some names to discuss, so if you could just go ge-"

"Why don't you just answer the question, Cameron," Nick said, forcing his voice through the hare's.

It was Cam's turn to struggle to mask the icy chill in his voice. "...Is this an interrogation, Officer Wilde? Because if I'm being asked questions about an ongoing case, and if you're insinuating what I think you are, then I'm fairly certain I'm entitled to having a lawyer present."

Nick backed off a bit, throwing his open paws up in mock surrender. "Nothing of the sort, just curious where you're getting your facts from. Unless you were there first-hand, you're sort of a middleman for information, aren't you?"

Cam laughed once, sharp and empty. "Are you actually asking me to reveal my sources, Officer? Because as I'm sure you're aware, I'm under no legal obligation to do so, even in court of law."

"Of course not, Cam. Just making a... personal inquiry."

"Well, this 'personal inquiry,' sounds more and more like attempt to intimidate me, and let's be clear, Wilde, we're _both_ aware of your history with intimidating people."

Nick's nostrils flared out, but before he could say anything, Cam spoke up again. "Although to be perfectly frank, I expected someone with as much experience with the streets as you to be better at it than this."

"Now look here, you two-bit little-"

"No, you look," Cam hissed. The hare stood as tall as he could, although he was still looking up at Nick. "I have no idea where this vendetta you have against me came from, though it's been painfully apparent since the cafe that you've had it. That being said, you can take this unwarranted self-righteous anger and stuff it. I've done nothing to earn this treatment from you, and have been nothing but helpful to Officer Hopps, so I'd appreciate it if you backed. Off."

Cam punctuated his speech by taking two steps toward Nick, putting their faces only inches apart. Nick felt an urge to snarl that he hadn't felt since becoming an officer, and he held his ground.

"Look, Cotton, I don't know what your angle is in all this, but I'm going to find out," Nick said, barely concealing his fangs. "No goddamn reporter just does stuff out of the goodness of their heart. I don't know if you're involved with the money laundering itself, but if you've got any machinations to make yourself look good by bringing Judy down, you've got a thing or two to learn about predator-prey relations." He poked Cam in the chest hard, sending the hare off balance. He stumbled a few steps back, but quickly broke into the sort of heartless laughter that Nick hated.

"O-oh, oh my goodness, you are actually this dense, aren't you," Cam managed to wheeze. In an instant, the laughter was gone, and he was back in Nick's face. "Do you really think I'm such an idiot that I would threaten my own reputation with the ZPD over some measly gambling case? That I'd burn a bridge I've built over years?" His light blue eyes raged, and for the first time in the conversation, Nick felt out of his element. "Officer Wilde, do you know how many bodies I've seen?"

"W-what? What are you talki-"

"A hell of a lot more than you, believe me," he sneered. "I value my career, and the career of Officer Hopps, for that matter, far too much to casually risk it on something this juvenile." He was marching toward Nick, who found his feet retreating against his will. "So please, before you question my journalistic integrity again, please take your petty, jealous attitude and put it back on the middle school playground where it belongs." He concluded by poking Nick in the sternum back, though Nick halted his retreat at the contact.

Nick's ears stood on point, and he could feel his hackles raise under his uniform. He could feel himself aggressively stepping towards Cam, whose face seemed to indicate to Nick that he knew he may have gone too far. "Jealous? Don't get an even bigger head, fluffball. I'm trying to look out for my partner, and if there's one thing I'm not, it's-"

"Cam? Nick? What's going on?"

The two whipped their heads around at the sudden intrusion, and saw Judy standing, staring at them with some a notepad under her arms. "I couldn't remember where I put my notes. What… are you two doing?"

Cam smoothed down his jacket. "Judy, it's good to see you," he began, the argument he'd just been having seemingly forgotten. Nick knew he still looked upset, and cursed the hare's composure. "Officer Wilde and I were discussing the case you two are working. We got a little… animate about how frustrating it is to see organized crime try to re-establish itself, right Officer Wilde?"

Cam looked up at Nick knowingly, and gestured to Judy with his eyes. "Oh, yeah, it may have gotten a little, uh, out of hand," Nick said, simultaneously seething inside at Cam and grateful that he'd come up with a convincing lie. "I feel like we should be able to do more, you know, Carrots?"

She eyed them both warily. "Yeah, it does feel like that," she replied. "Have I been keeping you long, Cam?"

"Oh, just a few moments, nothing to worry about," he said. "Now then, Officer Wilde mentioned something about the names you were going to show me?"

 _He shouldn't be able to lie this well to Judy,_ Nick thought. _She's too genuine to just lie to her face like this._ The guilt over his own deception socked him in the stomach, and he immediately felt ridiculous. _What did you think was gonna happen, he'd just spill it about how he's secretly a mob kingpin? Get real._

"The names, yeah... I actually took some notes about this, and I was hoping to share them with you," Judy said, flipping through her notebook. While she was distracted, Cam leered at Nick and saw the turmoil poorly disguised on his face. The smile crept along his muzzle, and he turned back to Judy. "Say, Officer Hopps, did I ever tell you I'm from the tri-Burrows area myself? You're from Bunnyburrow, aren't you?"

Judy looked up from her notes, her nose twitching. "Really? You from Bunnyburrow, too?"

"Nah, I was born and raised in Rabbiton, myself. Left at the ripe age of 17 when I realized that writing stories about the biggest carrot at the town fair wasn't something I wanted to do for the rest of my life," he laughed. "It's been awhile since I've talked to someone else from the tri-Burrows. I bet you have tons of stories."

Judy shook her head and laughed. "God, more than I'd like to think about. I'm sure you can relate to having your brothers and sisters always barging in on you playing cops and robbers with yourself." Her cheeks turned the faintest shade of pink as she realized what she'd just said. "Er, maybe not that scenario exactly…"

Nick's eyes flitted between the two. His chest started getting tight, just like at the cafe.

"No, heh, maybe not that scenario, but they did catch me trying to imitate the daily newscaster on TV," he chuckled. "Tell you what, it's a little late. Why don't we just grab some food and we can talk about the case there? Maybe you can tell me some more stories about Bunnyburrow. It's been too long since I got to talk to someone else about growing up out on the farm."

Nick turned to Cam in time to see him momentarily glare at Nick with a grin brimming with arrogant victory. He absentmindedly picked at his claws while glaring back.

"Uh, sure Cam, dinner sounds good, although as fun as swapping stories about the tri-Burrows would be, I really want to focus on this case," Judy replied.

Nick's glare poofed away like a rabbit in a hat, though he wasn't sure who was the rabbit. His blood felt glacial as his heart sank to his knees.

"Maybe just a few stories, then. I know this great place on Bermuda Boulevard that has an amazing eggplant bisque," Cam said, walking up to Judy. "I'm ready to go now, if you are." He offered her his arm.

She rolled her eyes and pushed his arm away. "Don't act like I'm some city doe to court," she teased. "If anyone is going to be escorting anyone, it's going to be me. Don't forget who the buttkicking cop is."

"Hah, of course not," he laughed.

"Nick, you coming?" she asked, turning to her partner. He hadn't moved since the argument had ended, though it wasn't for lack of effort. The lobby felt constricting and agoraphobic at the same time. The pressure of the straps of an imagined muzzle cut into his face, though no matter how much he could claw and scratch, he couldn't get it off. The thought of having to spend an entire dinner in Cam's company as he schmoozed Judy was too much to stomach.

"Carrots, I'm, uh, not really feeling up to dinner, you guys can go and you can fill me in tomorrow," he replied. Judy cocked her head to the side. "What are you talking about? I thought you were just feeling fine a bit ago."

His chest was getting tight from the repeated lies to Judy. _What are you doing, just tell her. When did you turn into such a goddamn liar to your partner. You know he's just trying to get under your skin. Stop letting him!_ "Relax, Fluff, I've just got a few things I need to take care of here. I, um, trust you can handle a few names."

"Are you sure Nick? You got the names, I figured you'd want to be there when we found out who these mammals really are."

"Yeah, don't worry about me, Carrots. I'll just catch up tomorrow. It's not like the case is gonna break by then, right?" He offered up a weak smile, the kind that was worried if it looked sincere enough or not.

"I… suppose so. Are you gonna be good for dinner?" she asked.

Nick laughed despite the gloom that was settling in his head. "Fluff, I'm 32 years old. I'll be fine. Besides, I think I've already got an idea."

"Well, alright, I guess. I'll talk to you tomorrow, then," she said. She started off towards the door, Cam mentioning something else about the restaurant.

"Yeah, see ya," Nick called out, though he wasn't sure if the words had reached her or just died in his mouth. The pattern on the floor had become the most interesting thing in the room at that moment. Judy turned around as she walked out with Cam to wave goodbye, but he wouldn't look up, even after she lingered with her paw in the air for a few moments. Pulling out his phone, he punched in a phone number with fat, numb fingers. It ran a few times before a baritone voice picked up on the other line. "Yo, is this Nick?" Finnick asked. "I gotta say, I wasn't expecting you to call this soon. What's up?"

"You said you're at The Predator's Gambit most nights, yeah?" he croaked.

"Yeah, I'm actually gonna be headin' over there soon. Why, something wrong?"

"You wanna swing by the precinct first and pick me up?" Nick asked. "I need a drink."


	6. Chapter 6

Nick sat outside the precinct on the stoop of the steps, his elbows on his knees. He'd changed out of his uniform in the station's locker room, rationalizing that he'd just get changed when he got to work tomorrow. _Well, if I get to work tomorrow,_ he thought. ' _Cause if I end up drinking as much as I feel like drinking right now, I doubt I'll feel much like working._

Not that he felt much like working at the moment, either. The bitter sting of himself letting Judy go off to dinner with Cam still throbbed in his chest. "God, what's wrong with me," he muttered to himself. "I was so sure that guy was a scumbag that I pushed Judy right into his arms. How'd I screw up so badly?"

A cheetah walking with her son scooted him along faster past the strange fox mumbling to himself on the steps of the precinct. Nick almost spoke up to tell her he was a cop, but thought that might just look even stranger, and kept his mouth shut.

"What am I even doing. Judy's your best friend and partner, not to mention a bunny," he said as he ran his hands through the fur on his head. "And that's not even mentioning that you're almost a decade older than her…"

Nick's sad train of thought came crashing to a halt as the roaring sound of an obnoxious conversion van driven by an even louder fennec fox reached his ears. Soon enough, Finnick's van came whipping around the curb and ground stopped sharply in front of the station. His left tire had hopped the curb and his approach had sent bystanders scattering. Nick couldn't help but smile at the sight of his friend rolling down the windows to yell at him. "Well, mopey, you gettin' in or what? 'Cause I got stuff to do, and distinctly absent from that list is sitting here starin' at your sorry ass."

Nick hopped up with as much enthusiasm as he could muster, which is to say, not much. He trudged over to the passenger door and slid inside, almost tripping over the curb on the way to the door.

"Goddamn, Nick, something serious must have changed in the," Finnick paused, glancing at the clock. "Two and a half hours since I saw you. What the hell happened, man?" Nick stared at his friend. His face was contorted strangely in confusion, but deep in the bags under Finnick's eyes, Nick saw concern tucked away and well hidden. Finnick's worry gave him a semblance of comfort, but as soon as his thoughts returned to Judy and Cam, his mood plummeted once more.

"I… am a total idiot and screw-up, that's what happened," Nick said after several moments. That earned a chuckle from his diminutive partner.

"Hell, I coulda told you that. Where's that bunny, anyway? I was, uh, kinda hopin' to say what up to her. She seemed alright when she was lookin' for you after that Nightwhatever stuff a while back."

Nick's cheeks burned, and he could only look at Finnick with as innocent a mask as he could muster. It wasn't enough.

Finnick's eyes widened at Nick's expression. "Woah, did, uh, somethin' happen? You two fightin' over work or whatever people with real jobs do?"

"Not… exactly," Nick managed to get out. "She's, um, out to dinner with a reporter right now. Figured I'd make it awkward."

"Why the hell would you make it awkward, y'all discussin' a case or- ohhhhh," Finnick replied, realization dawning like a new day over his face. "Oh man, we got some stuff to talk about, don't we?"

Nick merely nodded, his tongue thick and dry in his mouth.

"You feelin' things for this bunny, aren't you?"

Nick stayed frozen for a moment before nodding again, noting that it was for the second time that day that he'd been at a loss for words in front of Finnick, which he was fairly certain was more times he'd been speechless in their entire previous history combined.

"Man, it's a good thing I got the hookup with the bartender there, 'cause I have a feelin' tonight ain't gonna be cheap," Finnick sighed as he nearly floored it, peeling out of their not-exactly-a-parking-spot.

Nick found momentary happiness in the fact that yes, Judy got just as angry on the road as Finnick did, and they were both equally awful drivers. If it weren't for the overwhelming fear and need for self-preservation, the sudden stops and swerves that Finnick was doing on the road would almost be comforting to him, like he could look over and Judy would be sitting there, cursing cab drivers and mentally putting hexes on street lights.

"So did you and her fight, man, or what?" Finnick asked out of the blue as they stopped at a red light. "'Cause things were totally cool earlier, or at least they seemed like they were."

Nick sighed, and felt himself uncoil his muscles for the first time since his argument with Cam. "No, well, yeah, we did, but everything turned out alright," he began. "I kinda accused the hare of being out to get Carrots, or bring her down, or… honestly, I don't even know what I was accusing him of." He lay his head back against the headrest and shut his eyes. "I haven't been myself lately, man. Can't sleep, can't think straight, I mean, I swear I hallucinated a tiny version of you at least three times in the last two days."

Finnick turned slowly to face his friend, his expression loudly and clearly saying that perhaps Nick shouldn't have mentioned that last part. "This ain't gonna get weird, is it?" Finnick asked, his voice laced with trepidation. "'Cause I signed up to go out drinking with you, not be your shrink."

Nick recoiled in his seat, trying to make himself as small as possible. "Don't worry about it, we don't have to talk about it," he said, looking at the floor.

Finnick groaned. "No, that's not what I'm saying, just chill out. Look, you clearly need to talk about whatever's got you down, and I'm gonna do that for you, just… if you get drunk and start tellin' me you love me n' junk, I'm gonna whoop your ass, we clear?"

Nick coughed out a chuckle. "Hah, don't worry, it takes at least five shots in me before I start getting all 'I love you, man,'" he said. "So you, uh, really don't mind talking about this crap with me? 'Cause I could really use some ears right now, and yours might just be big enough to do the trick."

That earned a solid punch from Finnick, though Nick was delighted to learn that Judy hit harder than his former partner. His delight did nothing to soothe the ache in his shoulder though; Finnick still packed a punch in his tightly-wound frame.

"And you know there's more coming where that's from if I hear another word about my ears," Finnick said, swerving to cut off a minivan. Nick could have sworn it was intentional, considering how quickly Finnick had to slam on his brakes and how he had soon returned to his original lane.

"Relax, I'm sure they're a hit with the ladies," Nick replied, rubbing the spot that Finnick had struck.

"You're damn right the ladies love them," he said, slicking back his ears with a paw. "But that don't mean you get to comment on them, so if you want cheap drinks tonight, I suggest you start showin' a little respect to the master."

Nick cocked an eyebrow. "The master, huh? And what exactly are you the master of?"

"Haven't you been payin' any attention? The ladies, man! I know how to get 'em and keep 'em, which sounds like exactly the problem you're having, so pay attention. You might just learn something."

"Uh, Finnick, not that I'm not appreciative, but I'm not exactly looking to pick up a girl tonight," Nick began. "I'm just looking to get my mind off things, you know?"

Finnick slapped his forehead, causing the van to veer dangerously toward the curb. Nick frantically reached for the passenger handle, only to remember that he'd accidentally torn it off in fear a few years ago during a particularly car-chasey escapade with Finnick.

"Look, moron, I'm not tryin' to hook you up with some random girl," Finnick replied. "We're gonna make it so you can actually talk to this bunny chick about how much you're clearly into her. At least, we're gonna do it after we've got a few in us. I don't know if I can handle you sober when you're so mopey about this crap."

Nick once again shrunk into his seat, trying his best to disappear. "Oh, uh, of course. Boy, sure can't wait to bare my soul to the master of women himself, so masterful that he still drives the same beat-up van with shag carpeting in the back," he said. He hadn't meant for that to sound so bitter, but he couldn't help it from creeping into his words.

"Okay, first of all, this van is sweet, and you know it. Second of all, I ain't gotta do shit. I could just leave you here and let you figure all this out on your own," Finnick snapped back. "So drop the attitude, you're bumming me out."

Nick sighed heavily, realizing just how pitiful he was sounding outside the confines of his head. "You're right, Finnick, my bad," he replied. "Man, I haven't been out to drink in a long time, I think I really needed this."

"You don't go out with anyone from work? What about the bunny?"

Nick laughed, unable to contain himself. "What, Judy? At a bar, like, actually drinking? Yeah, not really seeing that happen."

"What, they ain't got bars in Boringville or wherever she's from? I bet she'd totally be down to go out drinking, you just didn't think to ask."

"She's from Bunnyburrow not… whatever you just said," Nick began. "And you don't know her like I do. I don't think she'd be comfortable going out drinking."

"Well, she's clearly cool with going out on a not-date with this rabbit dude, so maybe you need to reconsider what you think she can and can't do," Finnick replied.

Nick wanted to retort that it was different, and that her going out for dinner with Cam wasn't at all like a hypothetical scenario where she went out for drinks with Nick or other ZPD officers, but he couldn't find the words to argue. By the time he'd finally accepted that he didn't have a counter-argument, Finnick had executed the better half of a powerslide into a parking spot at The Predator's Gambit. Nick sighed and unbuckled himself. _I am entirely too sober to be discussing this stuff with Finnick, or anyone, for that matter,_ he thought.

He'd never been to this particular bar before. It was sandwiched tight between a pawn shop on the left called Will Buck's Gun and Pawn and a closed down building on the right that he suspected may have housed a barber shop at one time. The peeling ochre paint on the outside of The Predator's Gambit, coupled with the lone broken shutter on one of its windows told Nick the bar had seen better days, but the worn-smooth door handle to enter told him that mammals were here enough that it certainly wasn't doing badly for itself.

Once inside, he and Finnick walked across worn, scuffed-up wooden floors to an empty booth. There were about 20 other mammals already inside eating food and ordering drinks. _Not bad for a Thursday night,_ he thought. A pair of panthers were playing pool in a corner, while a small group of wolves were huddled around a jukebox, laughing about what to play next. Bad 80s rock music was playing over the speakers, earning an eye roll from Nick. "Well, if the Fawn Jovi is any indication, this is pretty much a bar for losers," Nick chuckled to himself. He wasn't quiet enough, however, that Finnick didn't hear him.

"And what exactly would you call yourself right now?" Finnick asked, his voice dry and rough in Nick's ears.

"Ah, that would be, uh… a loser, I guess," Nick stumbled before sulking.

"That's right, but that's why we're here." Finnick walked over to a table with Nick in tow. An ocelot that Nick guess was in her early 40s came over to take their order.

"Hey, Finnick," she said. "How's it been?"

"Oh you know, Betty, same old, same old," he replied. "Can we get a pitcher of that one stout you guys got?"

"Hair of the Dog? Sure thing, hun. What about for your cute friend over there?"

Nick's ears perked at what he hoped was a mention of him, and did his best to look natural and not at all taken aback by the compliment.

"Nick? Oh, you don't want him Betty. Besides, he's already taken. You want anything, Nick?"

"Yeah, I'll have a vodka tonic to start, thanks," he replied. His voice broke in the middle of his sentence, and his cheeks were flush with embarrassment.

To her credit, Betty laughed it off. "No problem, sweetie. Can I see your ID?"

Nick awkwardly fumbled, trying to access his wallet in his back pocket. He nearly dropped it as he tried to casually flip it open to Betty, but she seemed satisfied with his license.

"Alright, I'll have that pitcher and that drink out to you guys soon." With a flick of her tail, she strolled over to another table and began serving them. Finnick broke out in laughter, causing Nick's ears to fold flat against his head.

"Man, I don't know what that bunny did to you, but she broke you in like a rented mule," he cackled.

"C'mon, man, not so loud," Nick whined, his head peering over the top of their booth to see if anyone was looking at them. Everyone in the bar was preoccupied with their own drinks and games, and no one seemed to be paying Nick and Finnick any attention.

"What do you mean, 'not so loud?' Your voice cracked like you was back in high school, and there ain't any coverin' that up."

"No, not about that, about the fact that, you know," Nick began. Finnick had stopped laughing, his brow furrowed at his friend. "Could you not mention the bunny so loudly?"

"Oh, come on, man," Finnick said, shaking his head. "Is that what this is about? You feelin' guilty over bein' a fluff-chaser?"

Nick's cheeks burned, and an overwhelming urge to defend himself boiled inside him. "Don't call me that," he said through clenched teeth. "Or I'm out of here, and you can just drink alone."

"First of all, I'm totally fine drinkin' alone, so if you trying to shame me about that, try again," Finnick said. "And second, there ain't any shame in likin' that bunny, Nick. Nothing wrong with bein' a fluff-chaser. Everyone got their own kinks, so the earlier you get over yours, the better."

"Ugh, couldn't this wait until I at least had a few drinks in me?" Nick said. "I'm not nearly drunk enough to have this conversation with you."

"You brought it up, so I don't know what you want me to do about it," Finnick shrugged. Nick was fairly confident that he didn't, in fact, bring it up, but he knew to choose his battles with Finnick wisely.

"Okay then, if everyone has something weird about them, what's yours then?" Nick asked. "Though I hope it's not bunnies. If you had a kid with a bunny, I'm pretty sure the size of their ears would create a state of emergency for blocking out the sun."

"And I'm pretty sure if you had a kid with a bunny, it would be a sign of the end times, 'cause there ain't any way you're getting laid," Finnick replied without skipping a beat. Nick just pouted that his comeback had been so thoroughly matched. Before Finnick could reply to Nick's question, Betty returned with their drinks, putting out two chilled glasses and a pitcher full of amber-colored liquid. She also placed a highball glass in front of Nick with his vodka-tonic in it. He grimaced internally; he wasn't even really a fan of tonic, but he was in a sour mood, and it was the kind of drink that he liked to imagine his father would order if he ever met him. He took a sip and shuddered; the bitterness burned going down, though it wasn't altogether unpleasant. It wasn't something that would get ordered often, but Nick had a feeling this was exactly the kind of drink he needed now.

"Y'all just holler and let me know if you need anything else, alright?" Betty asked. Nick wasn't precisely sure where an ocelot had picked up such a country accent, but it was endearing, so he just nodded and smiled.

"Yeah, sure thing, Betty," Finnick said, already pouring himself a beer into one of the mugs.

"Alright, I'll just leave you be, then," she said, turning to head back to the kitchen. "Oh, before I forget, it's Tofu Thursday, so the fried tofu is half-off, just in case y'all get hungry."

Nick's stomach rumbled at the mention of food. He knew a night of beer and liquor sitting heavy in an empty stomach would end on his knees in front of the toilet, vomiting out all the night's money worth of alcohol away. "Actually, Betty, that sounds pretty good. Can you put an order in for that? There's no rush or anything," he said.

"Sure thing, sweetie. Teriyaki sound alright?"

Nick nodded. "Well that's good, 'cause we're out of just about everything else," she tittered. "Don't tell no one that I told you, though."

Finnick made a cross symbol over his heart. "Wouldn't dream of it, Betty."

"I'll go put that order in for y'all," she said, turning back towards the kitchen.

"So, you were saying?" Nick asked, turning to Finnick.

"What was I saying again?"

"You said that everyone has their own weird kink, and I asked what yours was. You didn't actually tell me."

"How do you not know this already, man?" Finnick asked. Nick just shrugged. "I don't know, we never really talked about relationships before."

Finnick leaned in close to Nick. "Well let me tell you, my friend. You ain't lived until you've been with a… lady of larger proportions."

Nick cocked his head slightly. "Larger proportions? What are you talking about?

"C'mon, man, you know, large. Hippos, rhinos, elephants, women of a voluptuous nature. Once you been with a elephant, there ain't no goin' back to women your size."

Finnick took a deep sip from his glass while Nick just sat there in shock. He was vaguely aware of the drink in his paw, but Finnick's revelation left him temporarily unable to think of anything except his friend with a woman the size of an elephant.

"Wait, so let me get this straight," he began, finding his voice. Finnick spied him warily over his glass. "You're telling me you've not only been with an elephant before, but you've sworn yourself to chicks that size?"

Finnick nodded, staying silent and taking another sip of his drink.

"H-how does that even work?" Nick exclaimed. He knew he was overreacting a bit, but the seemingly impossible logistics of Finnick and a hippo together felt like it was frying his brain. "I mean, you're so little, and they're so…"

"Big?" Finnick offered.

"Well, yeah, big! Enormous, even!" Nick said, exasperated. He couldn't figure out how Finnick seemed so blase about this.

"So what if they're big? Trust me, other mammals have made stranger things work out," he replied.

"Sure, but why, though?" Nick asked. "I mean, just the logistical planning and execution involved…"

"Why are you into that bunny? How is me havin' a preference for real women any different than that?"

"I suppose it's not, but- wait, what do you mean, 'real women?' What, like chicks your size don't do it for you anymore?"

"Let me tell you something, when you're my size, the dexterity you can offer an elephant is unparalleled," he said. "You can be in complete control, man! I mean, my fingers and hands alone can get up-"

"Nope, we're done here, far too much than I ever needed to know," Nick interrupted. He took a long drink from his vodka tonic, cringing as it went down. Finnick seemed unfazed and simply shrugged.

"Look, the more mass on a woman, the more she can offer. That's pure scientific fact," he said, topping off his glass. Nick noticed that his drink was over half gone. _Finnick was right, this is gonna be an expensive night,_ he thought.

"I'm pretty sure that's actually not scientific fact, and is actually some crap you made up just now," he replied. He peeked his head over the walls of the booth they were in again, but still found no one else paying attention to their conversation. He felt a bit of tension leave his muscles, though that might have just been the vodka beginning to make its way through his system. He took another drink, if only to remove any doubt about why he was relaxing.

Betty seized the lull in their conversation as an opportunity to bring over their plate of fried tofu. A saucerful of a thin, brown sauce was centered on the plate, surrounded by fingerlings of breaded, crispy tofu. Nick's mouth salivated; he thought back and realized he hadn't eaten since breakfast. He grabbed at some of the offering before Betty had even finished setting the platter down on their table. The tofu was deliciously crispy, with a subtle umami sweetness from the teriyaki seasoning in the breading. The food warmed his throat as he swallowed, and he sighed, smiling.

"Boy, someone sure was hungry," Betty laughed. "Well, like I said before, they're half-off tonight, so if you boys are up for more after this, just gimme a shout, alright?"

"Sure thing, Betty, thanks," Nick said, reaching for another fried morsel just seconds after swallowing his first one.

Finnick rolled his eyes and swatted at Nick's paw. "Man, have some respect when you're around a lady," he said. Nick managed to nab some tofu, stuffing it in his face in defiance to Finnick's smack. "Maybe this is why you got girl problems, 'cause you eat like a pig."

"I know some pigs, and I'm pretty sure they'd take offense to that," Nick replied with his mouth full. _Oh god, I'm turning into Judy._

"Oh, Finn, you know I don't mind none," Betty said. "In any case, just grab my attention if you need anything else."

"Actually, another one of these would be great," Nick said, gesturing to his nearly empty glass.

"Sure thing, hon, I'll go tell the bartender." She quickly strolled away, leaving Nick to return to the uncomfortable realities of learning about the fetishes and late-night proclivities of his best friend.

"So, uh, you were saying how you love women twenty times your size," Nick mumbled out. He drained the watered-down remnants of his drink, and hoped that the bartender was quick.

"Oh, right," Finnick said, dipping one of the pieces of tofu into the sauce and munching on it. "Ladies that big love a man who can take care of them, especially when they're as good with their hands as I am. Think about it, they're used to hooves and junk, so when someone my size comes along and can get my fingers-"

"Once again, the details are 100% not necessary," Nick interrupted. He hastily grabbed for another piece of tofu and shoved it in his mouth whole, just to try to focus on something else.

"My point is, you would have never thought that a fine-ass hippo hookin' up with me would be something I'm lookin' for until I told you, let alone if it's possible," Finnick said. "Almost everyone has something a little weird about 'em, so the fact that you happen to like a bunny registers as pretty normal as far as I'm concerned." He took a long sip of beer, letting Nick stew in his thoughts. The fox didn't say anything at first, choosing to just stare into his empty glass, watching small drops of condensation slide down the outside and onto his fingers. He looked over to Finnick and smiled weakly. "T-thanks, Finn. I think I really needed to hear that," he said.

"'Course you did, when have I ever been wrong? Never, that's when."

Nick snorted loudly. "Uh, how about that time you were sure that bottled air from Tundratown was gonna sell like crazy in Sahara Square? 'Breathe in the icy chill of the tundra!' Completely ignoring the fact that the air got warm by the time it reached the square." Nick was outright laughing now, nearly choking on one of the last pieces of tofu. Finnick steamed, looking everywhere except in Nick's direction.

"Well, alright, except for that one time, I've always been right," he said, his lips pursed.

"No, what about that other time that-"

"Okay, okay, point taken," Finnick said, holding his paws up in Nick's face. His chuckles were dying down, and the pitcher of beer in front of Finnick was looking more and more appetizing. "Hey, pour me one out, would you?"

Finnick nodded, filling up the second glass and sliding it over to Nick. He'd never been much of a beer guy, but the bitter, slightly-honeyed notes felt good as he drank deep.

Taking advantage of Nick's silence, Finnick spoke up. "So let me ask you somethin'. You haven't actually admitted to havin' a thing for this bunny yet," he said. "What do you like about her so much?"

Nick coughed into his beer, sputtering as some went down the wrong pipe. "I-I don't know what you're- ah, screw it," he said, his shoulders drooping. "Yeah, I got a thing for Carrots. A huge thing, if we're being honest. Never had it this bad for a girl before."

Finnick nodded. "How long you been thinkin' this?" he asked.

"Only the last few days, but I think it was there for a long time before that, and I was just too stupid to recognize it."

"That does sound like something stupid you'd do," Finnick said. "So then, what do you like about her? What does she do that's got you so screwed up?"

Nick took a long drink of his beer before continuing. "She's… God, she's just amazing, man," he began. "She's seen so much crap as a cop already, but she's still so optimistic. This city chews mammals up and spits 'em out all the time, but she's still going strong. She remembers all my favorite stuff, without me even telling her, like she just notices that I always get hazelnut coffee with one-and-a-half sugars, and weeks later she's ordered me exactly what I want. Not to mention how good she looks without even trying. She looks better in her stupid meter maid uniform that the models and pop stars up on the billboards in Sahara Square." He paused to take another drink. Finnick stayed silent, quietly munching on the last piece of tofu. "Plus, she cares so damn much about everyone. Whether it's trying to make me feel better when I've had a shitty day, or a little bear cub who dropped his ice cream in Tundratown, or overloading her schedule with so many cases because she just can't say no to helping another mammal, she somehow makes room in her heart for everyone. I don't know how she does it, but I can't help but love that about her." His head was in his paws, and his fingers were anxiously working themselves into his fur. Finnick's eyes were wide at his friend's speech. He reached out and put a paw on Nick's shoulder, who turned to look at him.

"I gotta say, as your friend," he began. "That's… the gayest thing I ever heard. Also, you're so stupidly in love with this bunny, I mean goddamn, open your eyes."

Nick almost choked on the air he was breathing he started laughing so hard. "I-I don't know why I was expecting anything different, Finn," he said between gasping breaths. "Also, please explain how me talking about my feelings for a woman is 'gay.'"

"C'mon, man, all that mushy stuff? I just wanted you to explain yourself, not cry on my shoulder."

Nick tried to subdue his chuckles to middling effect. He reached out his paw and pinched Finnick's cheek. "Aw, something tells me that _someone_ has some repressed feelings about how many times you had to give a kiss for daddy to get the stuff for Pawpsicles."

Finnick swatted away Nick's hand. "Knock that crap off, man!" he exclaimed, punching his friend solidly in the shoulder. Nick was beginning to wonder if he was actually part punching-bag, maybe on his father's side.

"Hah, alright, I deserved that," he said, rubbing the spot where Finnick had slugged him. Finnick drank deeply from his mug, eyes looking everywhere except at Nick. Although he was sure he was just imagining things, he thought he saw the lightest tinges of pink on Finnick's cheeks as he drank.

Betty had returned with his drink. Nick's stomach hadn't stopped its gurgling, though he could feel the alcohol working through his system.

"Hey, Betty," he said. "You think we could get another pitcher, and maybe some more of that tofu? I think we're gonna settle in for a while."

"Sure thing, sweetie, I'll go take care of that in a jiffy," she replied. His mind wandered to Judy, Cam, and eggplant bisque. _I wonder how her night is going_ , he thought.

* * *

"So then I said, 'Look, ma'am, as much as I'd love to do a story on your prize-winning carrot's battle with depression, I'm just really booked right now," Cam said. Judy couldn't hold her giggles back any longer, raucous laughter escaping her lips. A few other patrons stared at her outburst, but neither she nor Cam paid them any attention.

"Oh geez, and how many calls did you get like that in Rabbitton?" she asked.

"At least two per day," he replied. "It almost got to the point where I felt bad for turning them down."

Judy quieted her giggles for long enough to take another spoonful of her eggplant bisque, which was just as amazing as Cam had described on the drive over. She sighed with content as she savored the hearty flavor of the soup. "So how'd you find this place out of all the restaurants around?"

Cam paused from taking a sip of his water. "What do you mean?"

"Well, there's gotta be dozens of places to eat in Sahara Square. I wouldn't even know where to start looking," she said.

"Oh, actually, a coworker of mine did a review of this place for the website, and said it was outstanding," Cam explained before taking a bite of his salad. He swallowed before continuing. "Food is amazing, and the prices are reasonable. It's not easy finding a diamond in the rough like this; it really helps to know a bunch of other mammals who are familiar with the city."

"Yeah, I bet," she replied. "I still don't really know much of the city, just what Nick has showed me, and work keeps us both pretty busy."

"Hah, don't I know it," Cam replied with a chuckle. "So many late nights because of a fire at midnight, or some moron decided 1 a.m. was a good time to get shot while robbing a diner."

"Geez, does stuff like that happen a lot?" Judy asked, her nose twitching.

"Not often, but enough that I'm warranted complaining about it," he said. "I'm sure you can sympathise. Cops are basically needed 24/7."

Judy let herself bask in another spoonful of soup. "Yeah, I guess that's true. I never really thought about it like that, though."

"What do you mean?"

She shrugged, and stared into her bowl of soup. "I don't know, serving the city as an officer is just my duty, you know? The time of day doesn't really matter."

Cam let out a low whistle. "I wish more public servants were like you, Judy. The city would run a lot smoother."

She blushed faintly pink, and her ears drooped slightly. "Oh, stop it, you flatterer," she said, pushing him lightly on the shoulder. As she looked down, she noticed the notepad that she'd brought in containing the names Finnick had given Nick. "Oh, carrot sticks," she said, reaching down for the notepad. "We should really get to discussing the case."

Cam shrugged and took a sip of water. "I hate to interrupt a good meal with work, but I'll see what I can do, Judy. Who are these names?"

Judy quickly rattled off the four mammals. Cam remained stoic as she read them off, his hands clasped under his nose. "Hmm, I'm fairly certain that I've heard of the boar and hyena before, though I'd have to double check with my sources," he said. "If I'm not mistaken, one of my contacts mentioned a boar aiming to drastically increase, shall we say, ill-gotten gains in the area. I could probably get you a general area that he's known to operate out of by tomorrow, or Saturday at the latest."

Judy beamed at Cam's offer, but her smiled diminished when she thought of Nick's words. "Cam, if you don't mind me asking, how do you know all this? I mean, you have to admit, it's a little unnerving that you can just tell me where these guys are working from."

Cam's face darkened. "C'mon, Officer Hopps, not you too," he said.

"Hold on, Cam, I'm not sure what you're-"

"Judy, where did you get those names?"

"Huh?" she asked. She wasn't expecting to be put on the backfoot. "Oh, uh, Nick managed to get them from an old, um, acquaintance of his."

"Which is exactly what I'm doing," Cam said, his eyes downcast. "I know mammals, Judy. Homeless, cleaned up drug dealers, folks just working to make an honest living. Hell, even some mammals not making an honest living. But for whatever reasons they have, they're willing to talk to me."

"Cam…" Judy began.

"That's all that I do. I just tell the stories and pass along the news from other mammals. Sure, sometimes those mammals aren't the best or most wholesome, but what they have to say is important. It just… it's just unfortunate that folks don't believe me, or think I have something to hide."

Judy didn't say anything, suddenly uninterested in the soup in front of her. The sweet and savory notes in it had reduced down to bitterness. Her ears drooped, and she half-heartedly flipped one off her shoulder.

"So if you want to know, the guy I've been talking to about this is a small-time drug dealer and hustler working out of the South Side. I can't and won't give you his name, but he's a decent mammal, just making ends meet," Cam said quietly. His head was down, but his eyes were boring through Judy, who could feel herself shiver under his gaze. "He saw some nasty business go down a few weeks back, something he probably shouldn't have seen, and reached out to me."

"If he saw something illegal, why wouldn't he have called 911 or passed the information along to us?" she asked.

"He didn't want to go to the police, because then he might get busted, and he's already got a record," Cam replied. "There are a lot of folks in Zootopia that see things, but are too scared to go to the cops. Whether they're right to be scared or not, when they contact me, a lot of times they've got a story, so long as I can fact check and corroborate it."

Judy wanted to say something in the ZPD's - and her - defense, but couldn't find the right words.

"Cam," she began, hoping to shift the subject around. "Why are you helping me, anyway?"

"Judy, part of my job is building relationships, and if I can have a good one with you, it'll make working with the ZPD that much easier," he explained. "Not to mention, this'll be a great story, and some bad mammals will get locked up as a result, hopefully, anyway. Isn't that enough?"

"I guess, but what about the contacts you have?"

"Yes, a lot of the mammals I talk to aren't stand-up, law abiding citizens," he said. "They're still interested in justice, or at least their own safety. Talking to them doesn't mean I'm some sort of criminal mastermind like your partner seems to think."

Judy was pulled from her somber reverie, and slowly turned to face Cam. "Wait, what? What does Nick have to do with this?"

Cam froze, and was overcome with the overwhelming urge to smack himself in the forehead. "Ugh, me and my big mouth…"

"Did something happen? Oh no, he didn't say something to you, did he?"

Cam's nose was almost uncontrollably twitching; he wasn't accustomed to being on the other side of questions like this. "He, uh, may have questioned me in the lobby about my intentions, and may have insinuated similar things as you did a little bit ago."

"That stupid fo- oh, yeah, I guess I did sort of do that, didn't I?" she asked, her tone shifting from outrage to modesty in a flash. "He wasn't a jerk about it though, was he?"

"Ehhh, calling him a jerk wouldn't be too far off from how he acted," Cam said, shrugging.

"Hey, watch it," she replied, her eyes narrowed at Cam. "Just because he was a jerk doesn't mean you get to call him one."

"Is that right?" he chuckled. "Well, I probably acted like a jerk back, although he did deserve it in my opinion. Besides, I think this dinner is more than enough revenge against him."

"Wait, revenge, what do you mean?" she asked before realization began washing over her face. "Oh, cheese and crackers…"

He waved his paw in front of Judy's muzzle. "Judy? What is it?"

"Cam are you… coming onto me?" she asked. "Like, is this a date? Oh geez, did I accept a date in front of Nick?"

Cam struggled to contain his laughter, but failed dramatically as it came spilling out of him in a cacophony of giggles. Judy felt her cheeks burn at his outburst, and was just about to smack him when he held a paw up to her.

"O-Officer Hopps, as flattered as I am, no, this isn't a date," he said through his dwindling laughter. "Although I'm not going to tell Officer Wilde otherwise if that was the impression he got. It's the least he deserves for questioning my integrity."

"Wait, so this isn't a d-date?" she asked, the red in her cheeks refusing to dissipate.

"Judy, I've got a strict policy not to get romantically involved with anyone who I consider a contact for work," he said. "Besides, no offense, but you're not exactly… my type."

She cocked her head and glared at him. She wasn't sure why those words incensed her, but she felt a strange urge to prove him wrong. "What do you mean, 'your type?' What, country bunnies aren't good enough ever since you got to the big city?"

Cam realized the hole he was digging himself, and frantically searched for a way out. "Oh no, nothing like that," he began. He was sweating under the intensity of Judy's gaze. "It's just… let's just say you don't have enough fangs or, uh, claws for my liking."

Judy's eyes widened as it became clear what he was saying. "O-oh! Well, uh, sorry I b-brought it up," she stammered.

"Judy, relax, it's not exactly something I hide," he said. "I just wasn't expecting to have my, er, romantic preferences brought up this evening."

"Really? You mean, you don't mind other mammals knowing?"

"Why would I mind? If no one knew, how exactly would I find a lovely leopard or lynx with an affinity for fluffy prey like myself?" he laughed. "I mean, it's not something I broadcast, but I don't hide it, either."

Judy could almost feel her neck hurt from the emotional whiplash Cam was giving her. "Geez, it sounds like you lead a busy life," she said.

"Yeah, you could say that. Makes finding time for dating hard, especially when you've got, er, preferences like mine."

Judy realized just how off-topic they'd gotten. "You said you'd be able to get me a centralized location by Saturday, right?"

"Hmm? Oh, of course. That shouldn't be an issue, at least I don't expect it to be," he replied.

 _Ah, screw it. If he can get that to us, I think I've done more than my due diligence,_ she thought. She tentatively tried her soup and was delighted to find it was still warm. _Might as well enjoy the rest of my evening._ "Say, Cam," she began. "If you don't have much time to meet other mammals, would you be interested if I passed along your number to a few predators that might be interested? I bet you could charm the pants off of them."

Cam cocked an eyebrow at Judy's offer and smirked. "Really now, charm the pants off? Officer Hopps, you aren't suggesting the sort of activities I think you're suggesting, are you?"

She nearly choked on her soup as she realized how exactly she'd phrased her question. "I-I mean, that's not, I didn't, er," was all she could get out before reaching for her iced tea and taking a big swig.

Cam broke out into little fits of giggles. "Hah, I know what you meant Judy," he said. "Although I appreciate the compliment. Now who's flattering who?"

She laughed along with him despite her mouthful of tea. "Y-you are such an ass," she coughed out, unable to hold in her amusement.

He reached for his water glass, but paused, glancing over at her. "I, uh, wouldn't mind it, though," he said, taking a sip. "If you passed along my number, I mean." His eyes scanned around the restaurant, his ears standing at full attention.

That earned an eye roll from Judy. "Smooth, Casanova," she said. "I'll keep it in mind, though."

"Thanks, I, er, would appreciate that greatly," he replied.

 _I wonder how Nick's night is going? Geez, I hope he doesn't think that I'm on a date with Cam…_ she thought.

* * *

"And who _hic_ cares if she's out on a date with Mr. Journalist," Nick slurred. "I'm gonna get her an' never let go, one way or another." Nick's and Finnick's pitcher had been refilled for a fourth time, though the beer in their respective mugs was warm by now. Nick had personally seen through the demise of three more vodka tonics, while Finnick had gotten a craving for a Jackrabbit and Coke, which quickly turned into several. Nick turned to his friend; he wasn't sure when Finnick had grown a third ear in between the other two, but he thought it looked good on him.

"Thatsh the spirit, man," Finnick replied, casually waving his glass through the air, spilling it haphazardly. "Listen, listen, you are, wait, you're not listening." Finnick set his drink down and grabbed Nick by the cheeks, staring him in the face. "You are, just listen. You are a great c-cop, and I know you'll get Occifer Carrotfarmer back."

"W-wait, but I never had her in the first place," Nick replied. His words were stumbling toward Finnick's ears like they were trapped in a dense fog. "H-how can I get her back when I never had her?"

Finnick sat there, completely dumbstruck. He stared off into space for several moments before turning back to Nick. "What? No, you'll get her back, man, I just know it," he replied.

"Hah, thanks, I appreciate it," Nick said, smiling. "Man, I'll tell you, I needed tonight so bad. My day was going just awful, but I got my besssssst bro here to pick me up."

Finnick carefully eyed his friend. "Just watch it, I may be drunk, but I shtill know I'll kick your ass if you get all 'I love you, man' on me," he warned.

"Oh, but I do love you, Finnick," Nick replied, reaching out to him, arms outstretched. Finnick tried to make a dash for it, but the floor looked so far away that he was trapped up on the bench. He fought unsuccessfully as Nick wrapped his paws around him, pulling him in for a hug. "You're my best friend, man, and that's never, ever gonna change." Finnick growled when he heard Nick sniffle a bit.

"You- if you shtart cryin' on me, I swear-" Finnick mumbled out as he was smothered by Nick.

Finnick swatted and punched with all his might, but Nick kept shifting back and forth, making it hard to get a good hit on him. It was past 11 p.m., and much of the bar had either settled in or gone home for the night. As Nick was setting Finnick back down with a pat on his head, they heard the ding of the bell on the door, indicating that some mammals had just entered the bar. Nick peered his head over the booth and saw a familiar face; a small, heavy-set boar in a long coat had just walked in. His coat was slick with water; Nick wasn't even aware that it had begun raining.

"Hey, it's Marty!" he said, turning to Finnick.

"What are you- who's Marty?" he asked.

"Oh, actually, you wouldn't know him. He's from the precinct, I think he worksh in, uh, dispatch? Yeah, dispatch I think. Yeah, ol' Martin Tuskington."

"He a good dude?" Finnick asked. "Or is he gonna be the type to get all antsy over hangin' out with a hardened criminal like me?" He puffed out his chest, and Nick had to stifle a giggle.

"Yeah, that's you, a guy who's really seen it all. After all, there's no more dangerous hustle than selling Pawpsicles to lemmings outside a bank," he replied.

"C'mon, man, don't go tellin' people that, I _hic_ got a rep to uphold," Finnick said, his voice tinged with a very uncharacteristic whine.

"Hah, I'll keep that in mind. And relax, he mentioned something when I joined the force about a cousin of his getting out of prison, so I'm sure he's down with your type."

"My type? What the hell do you mean, my type?"

"You know, 'hardened criminal?' That type?"

"Oh, yeah, which you know I definitely am," Finnick said.

Nick rolled his eyes and turned toward the booth where the boar had taken a seat. "Yo, Marty, over he-" he called out before immediately shutting up. The bell rang again, and in walked a particularly tall hyena, an otter, and a rather rotund boar. Nick ducked beneath the wall of the booth before slowly inching his head up, his ears folded back, scanning to see where the three would go. They looked around before the hyena noticed Marty. The cop waved them over, and they quickly went and sat down with him.

"Oh god, oh god, oh god," Nick muttered to himself. Finnick looked to be weighing whether or not he should finish his beer when he noticed his friend having a minor panic attack. "Woah, what the hell, Nick?" he asked. "What's up?"

"Finnick, remember those names you got me earlier today?" he whispered. Finnick nodded. "Well, I think they just walked in here and sat down at Marty's table."

Finnick's eyes widened. "Oh no, not Marty!" he said. "Wait, who's Marty, again?"

Nick slapped his forehead. "The cop I was just telling you about? He works at dispatch, and- oh, shit," he said. "Marty Tuskington, Raul Tuskero? His cousin had gotten out of jail a while back? Finnick, I think, er, I'm pretty sure he's working with Raul's crew."

"Oh, damn, you mean this Marty dude is a crooked cop?" Finnick asked.

Nick popped his head back over the wall of the booth. He strained to overhear their conversation, but struggled to over the bar's music playing over the jukebox. Marty looked jittery, and was constantly looking over his shoulder. He nearly glanced over in Nick's direction, causing Nick to duck back down once more.

Betty showed up at their table right as Nick was hiding. "So, fellas, can I get you anything else?" she asked cheerily.

Nick's eyes widened up to saucer plates as he gawked at the waitress's poor timing. "Not now, Betty! Can't you see we're busy?" Finnick hissed, an edge in his voice.

"Oh, sorry boys," Betty asked, her eyes to the floor. "I d-didn't realize, I'll just leave y'all be, then."

She turned and started walking away. Nick's heart went out to the ocelot; she didn't know, and he felt a strange compulsion to make her feel better. "Hey, Betty, come back, he didn't mean it," he whispered. She wheeled around, staring at the pair. Nick frantically waved her over, the perplexity on her face growing by the second. "Look, Finnick didn't mean anything, I promise," he said. "Do you think you could bring us some, uh, water? And maybe some pretzels or something? And, er, aspirin, if you have it?" He crouched low, gesturing for Betty to do the same

"Oh, um, sure thing, hun," Betty replied, crouching down to match him. "Any reason why we're hidin', though? Why the sudden need for sobriety?"

Nick sighed. "I think we're gonna be here a while."


	7. Chapter 7

**(A/N - Wow, I can't say how much I appreciate the support, everyone. The praise and critiques you've given me have been more than I ever anticipated when I started writing this story. I can safely say I never expected a story of mine to hit nearly 300 followers. I'm just glad that you are all enjoying reading it as much as I have been writing it. Hope you like the chapter!)**

Nick and Finnick sat huddled at their booth, occasionally munching on the bowl of pretzels Betty had set out for them. She had come over about five minutes prior with tall glasses of water for each and several aspirin for them out of her purse. Nick counted his blessings; the food he and Finnick had eaten had done a decent job of keeping them from getting completely wasted, and he hoped the water plus the aspirin would keep them clear-headed enough to figure out their next move.

Nick strained and moved around, trying to get the best possible angle to overhear Marty's conversation with Beth, Raul, and Thomas without giving himself away. _I swear, I'm never having another vodka tonic for as long as I live,_ he thought, nearly slipping out of the booth as he leaned awkwardly in an attempt to eavesdrop.

Finnick simply watched his friend make a fool of himself as he craned his neck like he was a college student, waving their phone around trying to find the one spot of decent wifi in a coffee shop. The fennec took a pawful of pretzels from the bowl, frowning. "So we really can't leave, that's what you're saying?" he asked.

Nick sighed and sat back down, his brows creased with worry. "No, well, not unless you want to get maimed by that hyena over there," he replied.

"How the hell is she gonna know who you are? You ain't in uniform; to her, you're just some dumbass drunk fox trying to stumble home." Finnick took as angry of a sip of water as he could, which was made difficult by Nick's giggles as he reached for his glass and nearly missed. "And don't you say nothin' about that, I swear the glass was movin' around."

Nick covered his mouth to stifle his laughter. "No, you're right, it was practically dancing on the table."

"Seriously though, why can't we just leave? You know Marty met up with these dudes, just tell your chief or whatever and let's get out of here."

Nick grimaced, unconsciously rubbing the back of his neck with his paw. "See, the thing is, she kinda, uh, does know who I am. Or at least she'd recognize me," he replied.

Finnick glared at him, his eyes narrowing at his friend. "Please, Nick, tell me how the hell an enforcer like Beth knows you." He angrily chomped at another pawful of pretzels. "I'm sure it's a great story."

Nick stretched his collar a bit, uncomfortable with the sudden reversal in the conversation. "Well, Judy and I were on a sort of, um, stake-out, and Beth may have… seen us?" he said. He shrugged, trying his best to seem nonchalant about the whole thing. _This is what casual people look like, right?_ Nick thought. Judging by the snarl adorning Finnick's face, it wasn't working.

"So let me get this straight," Finnick began. "You and your little bunny partner got found out by one of the most dangerous chicks on the street, and neither of you were beaten to a pulp? How the hell does that happen?"

"We managed to talk our way out of it, what can I say," he replied. "I don't think she suspected anything, but she definitely saw my face. She'd remember."

"Talk your way out of it? Damn, I guess you really are a smooth-talker if you can just bullshit your way out of Beth's claws," he said, letting out a low whistle.

"Heh, well, it was mostly Judy's idea," he replied. Finnick couldn't tell in the light of the bar, but Nick's ears were burning as he reminisced about Judy kissing him to escape the stake-out.

"Damn, the bunny did it? Guess I should give her more credit."

Finnick reached for his water, but paused before putting his head in his paws. Nick could hear a stress-laden sigh come out of his friend. "Goddammit, and now I can't just leave your ass here, because if they see me with you, then they're gonna know something's up," he said.

Nick chuckled, his anxiousness apparent in the wilting tones of his voice. "Hah, yeah, uh, sorry about that one, man," he replied. "I can confidently say that I didn't expect them to just walk in here. Have you seen them in here before?"

"Naw, I thought I heard they frequented some dive up on the North Side. I guess they picked a new place to meet up or something," he said.

Nick nodded. "Yeah, that makes sense. Mix up the meeting places to keep anyone off their trail. Why would they, though? There's no way they could suspect anything."

Finnick simply shrugged. "That's what smart criminals do, man. C'mon, you know that. You get caught goin' to the same place every time."

"What, like we did? You're _still_ selling outside that one lemming bank," Nick said.

"Hey, I never said we were smart," he retorted. "I mean, I was, but you-"

Finnick was interrupted by a loud bang from Marty's table. Raul had slammed a hoof down onto the table, startling Marty. Beth and Thomas remained unfazed. The other bar patrons looked their direction momentarily, but soon resumed their own activities.

Nick once again craned his neck to try to listen in on what was being said, but the music and background conversation was still too loud to make anything out. "Damn, I need to figure out what they're talking about," he said.

Finnick cocked his head. "Why? You already know they met up, that's enough, isn't it?"

"Nah, I mean, maybe, but I want solid proof. He could spin this as just meeting up with his cousin, and by the time the investigation is really underway, Raul and the rest could just vanish. I want something concrete that they can't argue with."

"Well, good luck with that, 'cause the second they see you or sniff you out, the only way you're getting out of here is on a stretcher or body bag," he replied, taking a big sip of his water. Nick eyed his friend carefully as he drank, his eyes lingering on Finnick's ears.

"Say, Finnick, how would you feel about doing me a huge favor? I'd owe you big time," he said. He knew slipping back into his hustler persona for a moment probably wouldn't work on Finnick, but he savored every chance he had at talking another mammal into something. He grinned at Finnick, who stared at him with his ears turned back.

"I don't even know what you're gonna ask me, but I can guarantee you that the answer's no," he replied, turning away.

"C'mon, don't be like that," Nick cooed. "I'll owe you a million favors."

"That's funny, 'cause last time I added it all up, I'm pretty sure you still owe me about two million from that one time I got your ass out of that jam in Tundratown," he said. Nick could practically feel the chill coming off of Finnick's words, and his fur prickled.

"Okay, look, you can really help me out here, and I don't know how to make it up to you, but I will, I promise," he said, his facade crumbling. He clasped his paws together in prayer, his eyes pleading to him.

Finnick sighed. "I guess I can at least hear what you're offering," he said. "What'd you want me to do?"

Nick rummaged around his his pockets before emerging with a carrot-shaped pen. He deftly slid it across the table to Finnick, who eyed it like Nick had given him poison.

"You recognize this?" Nick asked. "Well, if you could just go-"

"Oh no, hell no," Finnick said, shaking his head in disgust. "You think just 'cause I'm small I'll crawl over there so you can get your evidence or whatever. Well, you can shove that. Ain't no way I'm bustin' my ass for some police investigation."

"Hey, it wasn't just because you were small!" Nick said. "It was, uh, also because your ears are… really big, and you could probably hear them in case the pen doesn't work..." Nick trailed off as the reality of what he was saying hit his ears.

Finnick stood up in a huff. "Yeah, that ain't happening. I'm telling Betty I'm leavin' through the kitchen. You gonna call me small, I'm leavin' your ass here." He started making his way to the kitchen entrance. Nick reached out and grabbed his wrist, causing Finnick to recoil.

"Finn, I… please, man. I know you've already helped so much, and I don't really have any place asking this of you, but please. Do you think you could help me out?" Nick held the pen out to Finnick, whose foot was seemingly trapped between heading for the door and turning back towards Nick.

Finnick groaned, his eyes shut in a grimace. "Consider yourself lucky that we got so much history, 'cause I'd smack the hell out of anyone else for even suggesting this," he said, snatching the pen out of Nick's hands. Relief rained down over Nick as a weak smile found its way to his muzzle. "I can't tell you how much I apprec-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know, I'm the best," Finnick said, tucking the pen into his shirt pocket. "Just don't go telling everyone that I crawled on my hands and knees for the cops."

"Your secret is safe with me, Deputy Vulparino," he replied with a smirk. He dragged his paws across his lips like a zipper, and pantomimed throwing away a key. Finnick cocked an eyebrow at him.

"Uh-uh, no way am I your deputy. I'm just doin' you a favor that I _will_ be paid back for. Also, you been hanging around that bunny too long, man," he said. "Alright, so what exactly do you want me to do?"

"Just try to get close enough to overhear their conversation, and record until you get something incriminating," Nick replied. "It doesn't have to be a lot, but just something that would show that Marty's working with Raul beyond a shadow of a doubt."

"Man, I can hear them just fine from way further away than that pen can pick up, why does it gotta be me crawlin' around?"

He paused, lost for words. "Uh, because you're small and hard to spot?"

Finnick pinched the bridge of his snout. "Remind me again why we can't just leave and you can tell your boss what you know?"

Nick sighed. "I mean, that might work, but if Raul's crew catches wind of it, they could get out of town or go into hiding before we can prove anything. Even Marty might make himself scarce, I don't know. I just don't want to risk it. I figured this case could take weeks to close, but if we can wrap it up soon, then-"

"Then the rabbit would stop having an excuse to hang out with that reporter dude?" Finnick offered up, a corner of his mouth upturned. Nick crossed his arms, refusing to make eye contact with him.

"I mean, that's at most a very small reason," he said. "These guys are doing some nasty work, and the sooner we can get them off the streets, the better."

"But it is a reason, though." Finnick's tiny smile grew, and Nick knew he was getting smugger by the minute. _That's my job, dammit._ He swore he wasn't pouting, but this conversation felt eerily reminiscent of previous talks with mini-Finnick. "Okay, it's a really tiny, almost insignificant reason, but yeah, it's a reason," he admitted.

"You're pathetic, Nick, there ain't no other word for it," he said with a laugh, clapping his friend on the shoulder. He looked over in the direction of Marty's table, and his smile faltered. "What if, you know, they see me? You gonna cover me? I… know I ain't the biggest guy, and if they catch me, are you gonna keep me from gettin' put in a shallow grave?" he asked.

Nick's heart sank, and squatted to look Finnick in the eyes on his level. "I've got full confidence that you can do this, but if things go sour, I'm not gonna leave you," he said.

Finnick let out an anxiety-laden sigh, and got on all fours. Nick had never seen him get down on that level, and was almost surprised by how little it made him look. Almost.

"I'm trustin' you Nick; you better not ditch me," he said, crawling around their table down the aisle. As much as he hated to admit it, Nick was right about one thing. His ears could definitely pick up what the other table was saying, but he'd have to get closer if he wanted the pen to catch it. He darted around the last table in the aisle; Marty and Raul's crew was in the next aisle over, about four booths down. _Goddamn, these floors are nasty up close,_ he thought. There was a fine layer of dust and grime across the floors, dragged in by hundreds of paws and hooves from the streets outside. _I gotta tell Betty once this is all through to get someone to mop this crap up._

He dashed across the last aisle without anyone seeing him. Most of the other mammals in the bar were preoccupied with drinks, pool, or conversation, and didn't notice a diminutive fox with big ears flitting from booth to booth. He could overhear Marty's conversation where he was, but he doubted he was close enough for the pen to pick it up. He peeked his head around the corner of the last booth at the end of the aisle, catching a glimpse of a distraught-looking boar with his head in his hooves. Next to him was an otter that seemed to be wearing an eternal grimace on his muzzle. Finnick could swear he didn't even see him blink. The otter turned his head in his direction, and he ducked back behind the wall.

He brought a paw up to his chest and felt his heart hammering away. He took a deep breath before risking another look around the corner. The otter had gotten out of the booth, and looked to be headed for the restrooms. Finnick's paws felt weighted down with lead, but he forced himself to scamper up to the next booth in the aisle and dive under the table. He could clearly overhear Marty's and Raul now, but he still wasn't confident that the pen would be able to register their voices. Their whispered toned would be difficult for the cheap recorder to pick up.

"Raul, don't get me wrong, I'm happy that you guys are finally making money, but like I said earlier, I don't know if I can keep this crap up," Marty said. Finnick's ears twitched slightly, unconsciously turning to make their conversation easier to hear.

"Marty, trust me, I know what cold hooves feel like, but you can't just back out now," Raul replied. "We've got such a good thing going here, and after busting your own cousin, you'd think that-"

"You're never gonna let me live that down, are you?" Marty interrupted. He'd raised his voice above the hushed volume they'd been speaking at, and Finnick could feel a low rumble through the wood of the booth. _Damn, sounds like Beth is gettin' tired of this,_ he thought. He quickly peered around the corner to see if Thomas had reappeared from the bathroom, but the coast was clear. He sharply inhaled before making a mad dash to the next booth, just one down from his goal. He grabbed the pen out of his shirt pocket and clicked it. He expected a little red light to blink at him, but none did. _Hmph, well that's stupid,_ he thought.

"You're goddamn right I'm never gonna let you live that down, you got me thrown in jail, Marty! Your own blood, your own family! Where's the loyalty, huh?" Raul asked, raising his voice back at his cousin. Finnick overheard the almost indistinguishable sound of sniffing under the heated conversation. He held his breath and prayed that Beth wouldn't be able to smell him out.

"First of all, I'd suggest you keep your voice down, unless you want the whole bar hearing us," Marty said through clenched teeth. "Second, I don't need to remind you of what you were doing, so you're not gonna guilt me over this."

Raul barked a single, clipped laugh. "Is that why you insisted on meeting us here? So you could tell me that to my face? 'Cause that's sure not the tune you were singing when you finally got your cut. Tell me, just how expensive was that coat you got your girl?"

Finnick didn't hear any response from Marty, though he did hear the sound of creaking, battered leather as someone stood up.

"What are you doing?" Raul asked after a moment.

"Smell something," Beth replied, her voice a low rumble. Finnick could feel it in his bones.

"No, nothing, though I don't know how you can smell anything over your breath. How many plates of that tofu crap did you order?" Raul replied.

"Shut up, I'm busy," she said flatly and began walking in Finnick's direction.

Finnick was sure that she wouldn't get the opportunity to kill him, since his heart seemed interested in giving him a heart attack at the rate it was beating. He took in a deep breath through his nose and held it. The heavy footfalls of hyena paws may have well been thunder as they echoed off the floor and to his ears. In moments, he saw Beth's sturdy legs outside the booth he was hiding in, turning back toward her partner.

"What, you think someone is listening to us?" Raul asked. "You're bein' paranoid."

She let out a low growl. "It's my job. Didn't smell them before, but I can smell them now," she said, slowly advancing down the aisle.

Back at their table, Nick peered over the top of the booth, keeping a watchful eye on the group. His heart sank when he saw Beth get up and start walking down past each table, her snout in the air. He swore he could see her sniffing around. His paws went to his head, tugging on his ears. "No, nonono," he mumbled to himself. "Don't find him, you can't find him, he's too small, too smart for you to find him." He saw her do one pass of their aisle before he'd seen enough, and ran to the end of his. _Please don't make me do this. He's gonna be fine, he has to be fine,_ he thought. He got on the balls of his feet, ready to sprint up and try to snatch Finnick in case he was discovered. His paws were shaking, and he hugged himself to try to get them to stop. They wouldn't.

Finnick's chest was getting tight as his tiny lungs began to run out of air. He put a paw over his mouth to keep himself still.

"Ah, whatever, your drink is getting warm, so it's no skin off my nose," Raul shrugged, and turned back to Marty. "Look, you're in just as deep as we are now, so don't get any funny ideas about backing out," he said. "And Marty, c'mon cousin, it's a victimless crime! Just some money here, a few bills there, it's no big thing!"

"That's not what the word on the street is," Marty mumbled. "I… heard about that ewe and ram that got sent to the hospital. Is that how you work, Raul? Just ruin the lives of everyone who gets in your way?"

Finnick's chest was nearly seizing when he heard Beth's footsteps on the other side of the aisle. He allowed himself to take in a small breath through his nose, exhaling as gently as possible. _This had better be worth it for him, or I'm gonna kick his ass in the afterlife,_ he thought, staring at the pen, struggling to control his breathing.

"Marty, you'd do best not to believe everything you hear. Besides, victimless is just a turn of phrase. After all, was it victimless when you turned in your own cousin, your own family for a minor offense?" Raul asked.

"Minor? You nearly killed that guy, Raul!" he exclaimed loud enough that Finnick knew he wasn't the only one that heard. Several patrons turned toward their booth, staring at the two boars before returning to their drinks and games. Raul seethed at his cousin.

"I'm gonna politely ask you to lower your voice," he said, barely concealing a growl. "And let me make this crystal clear, _cousin_. You're in deep, now. We can bust your ass for telling us where you guys are patrolling with a simple anonymous tip at any time, but us? We can go underground, and no one will even know where to look. So you better just keep playing along, or you might run into some problems."

Finnick forced himself to be still when Beth's feet reappeared outside the table he was hiding under. "I don't get it, I swear I could smell someone around here," she said, crouching down. She peered under the booth opposite Finnick. His heart nearly stopped, and he prayed that either God wouldn't curse him with the most inopportune phone call in history, or that he'd silenced his phone. "Ugh, these floors are nasty," she muttered, standing up. "Whatever, I don't wanna hear any lip from you, piggy. I just know there's someone else here."

"I told you, Beth, you're just bein' paranoid, which don't get me wrong, I appreciate you doin' your job. But just chill out a bit. You're getting on my nerves," Raul said.

Beth huffed and walked back to the booth. "You'll wish you didn't say that when we get blackmailed or something 'cause someone was listening in while you blabbed your whole scheme, dumbass" she retorted.

"Relax, I ain't said shit," he said. "So, Marty, can I expect you to keep up what you've been doin' for us? Or am I gonna have to play the bad cousin?"

Finnick took in a few steady breaths and held the pen out as close to the edge of the booth as he could. All he heard for several moments was the music and conversation of the bar around him before Marty spoke up again. "I… you don't… s-sure, Raul," he sighed. "I'll keep giving you guys the heads up about the patrols."

Finnick couldn't see his face, but he swore he'd never heard another mammal sound so defeated, not even Nick while they were driving to the bar.

"I'm happy to hear that, cousin," Raul replied. "And we've got a pickup in three days, so make sure you get us the information before then, got it?"

He didn't hear any response, but judging from the lack of outrage from Raul, he assumed that Marty just nodded in agreement.

"Good! Now we can get back to enjoying the night," Raul said. Footsteps were getting increasingly closer to their booth. Finnick assumed it was Thomas getting back from the bathroom, and was certain of it when he heard the owner of the footsteps sit down in the booth.

"Man, you guys do not wanna go to this dump's bathrooms," he said. "Probably hasn't been cleaned in years."  
"Ew, Thomas, c'mon, I'm right here," Beth replied. "I know I'm six feet tall with junk bigger than all of you combined, but I'm still a lady."

"C'mon, Beth, don't bring up that , ugh, stuff at the table, I'm trying to eat over here," Raul whined. Finnick rolled his eyes. _These guys have to be the most obnoxious criminals I've ever seen._ His thoughts flickered to Nick and Duke Weaselton. _Nah, still the most obnoxious._

He clicked the pen off gently, but didn't dare pop his head out from under the table for fear that the otter would notice him.

"What, you got a problem with my biology?" she asked, emphasizing every syllable of the word biology. "Or maybe you're just insecure 'cause a lady's got parts that would put yours to shame, huh?"

Finnick assumed the sputtering was Thomas or Marty nearly choking on their drink. There wasn't a reply from Raul.

He shut his eyes and lay his head back against the bench. _Maybe I'll just die here listening to these assholes._ He remained in that position for several moments.

Before Raul could muster up a retort to the attack on his masculinity, everyone overheard a commotion from over near the pool tables. The exact source of the yelling was unclear, but he could make out something about spilled beer and moving pool balls.

"Damn, what the hell's happening over there?" Raul asked. Finnick heard the seats creak as they group stood up. The unmistakeable sound of a fist hitting someone's face, followed by someone falling on the ground filled the bar. "Hah, looks like those wolves aren't too happy with each other."

The conversation at the table ground to a halt, and he could feel Beth getting out of her seat as her nails clacked against the floor.

"Where are you going?" Marty hissed. Finnick was certain she was headed toward the brawl.

"I like fighting. I'm a simple lady, cut me some slack," she replied. Finnick winced as she cracked her knuckles.

"This ought to be interesting," Raul said with a laugh. Judging by the way the seat was whining, Finnick was certain Raul was standing on top of the booth.

Thomas groaned. "Dammit, not again."

Finnick knew this was the distraction he'd prayed for, and after taking in a deep breath, he put the pen between his teeth and took off from under the booth on all fours. He knew he couldn't risk looking back, but he hoped a bar fight and a hyena knocking out a few mammals was enough to keep their attention for long enough that he could escape. His lungs burned, struggling to take in decent breaths after being so strained under the table, but he forced himself to keep running as quickly as his legs would take him.

Nick sat at the end of his aisle, chewing on the claws on one of his paws. He was just about to make his way over to Raul's and Marty's aisle when a very frantic Finnick dashed toward him on all fours, the pen in his teeth. He nearly crashed into him, sliding to a stop just inches before hitting Nick. He spit the pen out, panting heavily as he rested a paw on Nick's shoulder.

"You… owe… me so big," he wheezed, collapsing on the floor.

* * *

"You know, you didn't have to drive me back, I could have gotten a cab," Judy said as she unbuckled her seatbelt. The clock in his car blinked 10:24 at her. _Geez, was I really out that long?_ she thought. _If Nick found out how long I was at the restaurant with Cam, I bet he'd get so jealous._ As soon as that thought crossed her mind, she could feel tingly little pricks in her chest. Try as she might, she couldn't keep her tail from twitching either.

"Oh, don't mention it, Judy, it was the least I could do," Cam said. "After all, what kind of gentleman would I be if I made you grab a cab after our _date._ "

"W-wait, I thought you said this wasn't a date?" Judy asked. The fur on the back of the neck stood up on end. Cam couldn't help but snicker at her lack of composure. "Officer Hopps, for a standout member of the ZPD, I have to say that you're too easy," he laughed, much to Judy's chagrin.

"Watch it, mister, or just maybe I won't pass your number along to the cute lynx from the bakery I go to all the time," she replied, dipping into her extra reserves of sass.

"Hey, now c'mon, that's not fa- wait, cute lynx? You think the lynx from the bakery you like is cute? Please, do go on," he said, raising an eyebrow.

"Wha- no, t-that's not what I meant," she stuttered.

"Like I said, too easy," he replied. "Although, uh, if the lynx is as cute as you say, you're not actually gonna not give her my number, right?" She turned to look at him, only to notice now his nose was twitching ever so slightly.

A grin spread across her face that would have made Nick proud. "Now who's easy, huh Mr. Cotton?" she asked. That earned an eye roll from Cam.

"Har-har. Although, I suppose I deserved that," he replied with a laugh.

"Hey, uh, Cam? At the restaurant, you mentioned Nick seemed jealous. Did he happen to say why?" she asked. Her eyes were wide in the darkness of the car as she looked at him, the eagerness in her face not hard to find.

"Hmm? Oh, well, no, he didn't mention anything specifically," Cam replied. Judy's ears sank a bit before he spoke again. "Although, Officer Hopps, I can't think of many reasons that one male would be jealous of another male taking his friend out for dinner. It seems a bit obvious to me."

"Really? O-obvious, huh?" she asked. "What do you think it is, then?"

"C'mon, Judy, you're a cop," he replied, shaking his head and smiling. "I think you can figure it out."

She nodded simply before opening the car door and stepping out onto the sidewalk.

"Oh, don't want to forget this," Cam said, grabbing her phone out of the seat. He reached over and handed it to her. "Look, if you're worried about Mr. Accusations, just text him and say goodnight or something. That way, he'll know you were thinking of him even on our 'date.'"

"That's… actually not a bad idea," she said. "Also, 'Mr. Accusations?' What are you, twelve years old?"

That earned a scowl from Cam. "Hey, I got top marks at school in grammar and story composition, not coming up with insults," he grumbled.

"Well, it shows," she replied, sticking out her tongue.

"Man, I must be really out of practice," he said. "Normally I don't get beaten in banter this easily."

"Or maybe, you just found your match and you didn't even realize it. Did you ever consider that?"

"I have to say, the thought crossed my mind a few times," he said. "Well, thank you for accompanying me to dinner, and I'll try to get you that information by Saturday."

"Oh, right. Thanks, Cam, I really appreciate it, and I know Nick does too, even if he has a hard time showing it," she replied.

"I'll have to take your word on that," he chuckled. He turned his keys in the ignition and started the engine. "And seriously, you sound worried about Nick. Take it from someone whose job is 90 percent talking to other mammals, one measly text usually goes a long way," he said.

She just nodded, slipping the phone into her pocket. "I'll talk to you later," she said, waving to him.

He gave a little salute before pulling away into the street, leaving her on the sidewalk with a head full of questions and a very heavy weight in her pocket. She turned back toward her apartment building and headed inside. The drab, peeling floral wallpaper greeted her with their usual curled welcome. She flicked one particularly long piece that had curled up tight, uncoiling it and watching it snap back into position. The urge to rip it off the wall always lingered as she walked past it. She figured after one particularly bad day at work, she'd walk past and tear it off only to regret it deeply in the following days.

She trudged up the stairs as a bout of exhaustion suddenly hopped on her shoulders for a piggy-back ride. She could hear Bucky and Pronk loudly debating something, although what it was, she wasn't quite sure. Their conversation became clearer as she fumbled with the key at her door.

"You were staring at her, just admit it!" Pronk said. "You don't have anything to hide, I caught you red-hooved!"

"I wasn't ogling her, I swear!" Bucky replied. "I mean yeah, she's got some cute fluff, but that's it!"

"Oh, so now you're noticing her fluff? You're unbelievable!"

"No, babe, I was just saying that in the interest of honesty! I swear, I'd never ogle anyone but you!"

Judy rolled her eyes at the lovers quarrel and collapsed on her bed. She knew if she let herself lay there, she'd fall asleep in her clothes, but she wasn't sure if she cared enough to actually get dressed for bed. She pulled out her phone; the background as a photo of her and Nick positively beaming the day of Nick's graduation from the Academy. Immediately, the tingly, prickly sensation returned to her chest, and the word 'jealous' flickered in her head in bright green neon. _The same color as that stupid tie,_ she thought. _And his eyes, come to think of it. They're so green, like, Rainforest District green._

She swiped to her text messages. The only ones she'd sent in the last several months were to Nick, her parents, Cam, and occasionally Clawhauser, although he usually made her phone blow up so much that it ate through her data like he did with a box of doughnuts. She opened Nick's tab. The message bar was empty, taunting her to type something in.

 _C'mon, Judy, you're a cop. I think you can figure it out_.

Her thumbs hovered over the keyboard, unsure of what exactly she even wanted to say. "Ugh, what am I doing, he's my best friend, I can send a stupid text to him," she mumbled to herself. Bucky and Pronk had quieted their yelling, though the silence was nearly unsettling.

 _Hey Nick, just thought I'd check in. Hope you had a good night! Cam said he could help with the case, and don't worry, it wasn't a date._

She stared at her screen for several seconds shutting her eyes and deleting the whole thing.

 _Nick, just wanted to see how your night went. I was thinking about you at the restaurant a lot. Just wanted to say goodnight to my partner._

A quick read-through caused another mass delete. She threw a paw over her eyes and sighed. "Why is this so hard," she whined, taking her arm off her head to have another go at it.

 _Why didn't you just tell me you were jealous, you dumb fox? All you had to do was say something. I sort of like it._

That earned the fastest delete of the three. Judy could feel her tail wanting to twitch underneath her. "No, shush you, I don't want your input," she said.

"Hey Fluff, who're you talkin' to?" Bucky called out from beyond the wall.

"No one, Bucky, just mumbling to myself," she replied.

"You know, they say talking to yourself is one of the biggest signs that you're crazy," Pronk said.

"I'll take that into consideration, Pronk, thank you," she called out.

"What do you mean, 'crazy?' I talk to myself, are you calling me crazy?" Bucky asked, his voice rising.

Judy rolled her eyes and did her best to ignore the ensuing, pointless argument. The screen mocked her from behind the glass, the last text Nick had sent her staring her in the face.

 _Sounds good, Carrots. I'll see you in a few._

She took a deep breath, and her thumbs returned to her keyboard.

 _Hey, how was your night? Dinner was pretty good, and I think you'd like the restaurant. We should go sometime after work. Just wanted to say goodnight._

The words shone brightly in her face, dimming after she reviewed the message for several moments. She sighed and hit enter. Within moments, a little indicator showed that it was sent, though it hadn't been opened by him just yet. She kept her eyes on the message, waiting for the notification to pop up that it had been seen, but it wasn't coming. _Oh well, he'll see it later tonight. I hope his night went well._ The need for sleep wafted over her. Slowly, she drifted away, a debate raging in her head over what to call the exact shade of green of Nick's eyes.

* * *

Nick tried to help his friend up, but Finnick shook a paw at him. "I… got this… don't worry," he said, slowly lifting himself back onto his feet.

Nick grabbed the pen and stuffed it in his shirt pocket. "What do you say we get you some water, huh big guy?" he asked, offering a paw. Finnick swatted it away, but after a few moments of panting heavily, begrudgingly accepted it as they walked back to their booth. They both sat down, Finnick reaching for his refilled glass, taking in several large mouthfuls of water before setting it down with a sigh.

"So, uh, how did it go?" Nick asked. He was fiddling with his fingers, and Finnick noticed his ears twitching slightly.

"Oh, you know," he began. "The hyena almost found me under the nasty-ass table I was cowerin' under. If she had, the only chance you'd get to have this conversation with me is in heaven after she beat both our asses for spyin' on 'em. But yeah, it went alright."

Nick's face went from concern to amusement in an instant. "Wait, what makes you so sure you're going to heaven? I mean, I've turned over a new leaf as an officer of the law, so of course I'm going," he said, cocking his eyebrow.

"Man, I'm a regular saint, and don't go actin' like you don't know it," he replied, taking another sip from his drink. "After all, I'm pretty sure that stunt I just pulled counts as at least two dozen good deeds or something."

"That's a pretty fair assessment," Nick laughed. "But, uh, did they say anything, you know, incriminating? Or did I send my friend nearly to his death for nothing?"

"I don't know, genius, you've got the pen," he replied. "Why don't you go and check for yourself?"

"Oh yeah, you're right," he said, reaching into his pocket. Finnick rolled his eyes. "I should probably listen to this anyway to double check that we got something good, otherwise I'll have to send you over there again," Nick said.

Finnick nearly choked on his drink. "If you think I'm goin' back over there again-" he sputtered, but was interrupted by Nick, who held up a paw.

"Relax, I'm kidding! Man, you've gotten too easy, my friend," he said. He clicked the play button on the pen and set it on the table. The general drone of the bar was in the background, but Nick could make out what Raul and Marty were saying. It wasn't the clearest audio in the world, but it would definitely do. He listened to the recording for a few more minutes while Finnick caught his breath and finished his water.

"Wait, he said something about a pickup or something three days from now?" Nick asked as the recording shut off.

"Yeah, I guess so, why?" Finnick asked.

"Because, not only does all that other stuff prove that Marty is the mole, but that means we have a chance to corner these guys all in one motion," he said.

"Uh, I'm pretty sure Marty is a boar, Nick, not a mole. C'mon, man, I thought cops were supposed to be observant or something," Finnick replied, a smug grin adorning his muzzle as he reached for a handful of pretzels.

Nick scowled at him. "Really? Puns at at time like this? I'd expect this crap from Carrots, but you too, Finn?"

Finnick shrugged. "What can I say, I'm pretty sure I'm still a little drunk," he replied. "At least, I have to be to have agreed to all this crap."

"Well, in any case, this should work perfectly," Nick said.

"Yeah, and you best be appreciating it, too," he replied. "Don't go tellin' anyone, but I ain't been that scared since that one car chase we were in."

"Wait, you were scared during that?" he asked. "I never knew you were such a baby. You know I still have that stroller, if you want it."

Finnick struggled and failed to hold back a cackle. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but I remember you screamin' like a little girl in the passenger seat, so you weren't helpin' anything," he replied. "So don't go gettin' all high and mighty on me, _Nicky_."

Nick's grin immediately soured into a scowl. "We have talked about the use of that nickname, _Pequeño,_ so I suggest you don't say it again," he said. The use of Finnick's childhood nickname earned a snarl from his big-eared friend.

"I swear, I will personally beat your ass with my mother's frying pan if you call me that name again," Finnick growled.

"So, you're saying we're even, then," he replied. "You don't call me that name, and I won't call you Peque- er, that other name, deal?"

Finnick glowered at him, but turned his head after a few moments and nodded. "Yeah, whatever," he said. "So, uh, how exactly are we gonna get out of here, anyway?"

Nick was about to reply when Betty returned to their table. "Huh, you boys still here? At first I thought you went to the bathroom, but you were gone so long I was worried you'd dined and dashed on me," she said, topping off their glasses with fresh water.

"C'mon, girl, you know I'd never do that to you," Finnick replied.

"I'm just happy to know that I'm still getting a tip after all this," she laughed.

"Hey, Betty," Nick began. "You seen those mammals at that other table in here before? The boars, hyena, and otter?"

She squinted over in the direction of Marty's table. "No, I haven't, though we don't get many newcomers. Why do ya ask?"

"Oh, uh, no reason. Thought I recognized them from somewhere, didn't know if you knew who they were," he replied.

"Well, you can ask them yourselves. Looks like they're coming over this way," she said, before turning to head back to the kitchen.

Nick and Finnick both froze. Nick popped his head over the top of the booth and saw that Betty wasn't lying; Raul, Marty, Beth, and Thomas were all getting up from their booth and looked to be headed in their direction. His fur stood up on end, and he frantically turned back to Finnick. "We have to get out of here, like, right now," he said.

He ran up to Betty before she walked away. "Betty, you gotta let us out through the kitchen," Nick pleaded. His paws were clasped together, and he was nearly on his knees begging in front of Betty. "Those guys have it out for me and Finnick. We have to leave, like, right now, please."

The ocelot's eyes darted from Nick, to Finnick, to the approaching group. Beth had bumped into a deer that was coming back from the restroom, and the group halted.

"Didn't you see me walkin' here?" she bellowed. "Or did you miss what those two wolves faces looked like after I was through with 'em?" Nick had to give the young buck credit for not pissing his pants right then and there, though the way he threw his hooves up in pleading cowardice wasn't doing any him any favors.

"C'mon, Betty, now's our chance," Finnick said. "We seriously gotta get out of here."

Betty crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow at Finnick. "Well, I guess that depends on what y'all were plannin' on tippin' me tonight, don't you think?" she asked.

Finnick threw his arms up in the air and grimaced. "Aw, don't be like that, Betty, don't do us like that. What have we ever done to deserve this?"

"Oh, I don't know, how about the $160 tab you've rung up on me and still haven't paid?" she asked, her paws not placed defiantly on her hips. "I'd say at least a $50 tip should be a good start, though you're gonna have to pay that tab eventually, little man."

Nick sighed and dug his wallet out. "Fine, a $50 tip? Sure, whatever, we just need to leave."

"No, hold up man, I ain't lettin' her fleece us out of that cash," Finnick said, pushing Nick's wallet back into his paws. "Now look, Betty, you're a sweet lady, but you got another thing comin' if you think you can hustle money out of me."

"Are we seriously doing this right now?" Nick half whispered, half screamed at him. "We are about to be made into paste by a furious mutant hyena, and you're complaining about $50?"

"Eh, I think it just became $75," Betty said with a grin, her stare never leaving Finnick's eyes.

"Okay, now I know you lost your damn mind," Finnick said. "What are you lookin' to do, rob your customers? Is this the kind of establishment this is?"

"Hell yes this is that kind of establishment, and don't act like you didn't already know that," Betty retorted. "Now I been nice to you, Finny, but your tab is startin' to collect interest. Now's the time to pay up."

Nick snapped his head around to figure out where Marty's group was.

"Yeah, and you better run, Bambi!" Beth shouted at the deer, who scampered away from the cackling hyena, mostly likely a black eye for his trouble. Nick cringed as the bar was momentarily filled with the unmistakable sound of spotted hyena laughter.

"B-beth, was that really necessary?" Marty asked.

"Honey, beating the hell out of pathetic prey like that is _always_ necessary," she giggled as girlishly as a hyena could.

The group looked to be heading back in their direction after dealing with the buck. Wheeling back around, Finnick and Betty were still in an apparent staring contest, with neither party willing to back down.

"Holy shit, we do not have time for this," he growled, taking all the bills out of his wallet and shoving them into Betty's paws. "Take it, whatever. Finnick will pay his tab tomorrow, but right now we. have. to. go." Grabbing Finnick's wrist, he barreled toward the kitchen door.

Betty just stood, counting the thin stack of cash in her hand. "Hmm, $68," she called out. "I guess it'll have to do. Sure was nice serving you boys, y'all come back anytime."

As Nick and Finnick ran through the kitchen, earning some well-deserved curse words from the chefs, Beth and Raul approached Betty. "Hey, kitty cat," Beth called out. "How much to use the pool tables?"

"Five bucks for an hour, sugar," she replied, stuffing the cash into her back pocket. "I can get you guys suited up with some cues if you'd like."

Outside, Nick fell to the ground on his butt, panting. "I can't- you- that was almost the dumbest thing you've ever done," he said. Finnick simply shrugged. "Hey, she gave good service, but no one hustles money out of me."

"Yeah, especially when you're splattered all over the wall because a hyena found out your friends with a cop," he retorted. "Whatever, let's just get back to the van."

It had started to drizzle lightly, and the two walked as quickly as they could while still maintaining some semblance of composure to Finnick's van.

"I'm just saying, I probably could have taken her," Finnick said as he started up the engine.

"Oh, right, taken her right to a tasty dinner because I'm pretty sure she'd have eaten you whole," he replied.

"Nah, you're not seein' it," he said. "I'm too small and agile for her. She's so big and bulky, by the time she knows what hit her, I'd be scratchin' out her eyes." He furiously pawed at the air in front of him for effect. Nick struggled to hold back laughter.

"I'm, uh, pretty sure you've still got plenty of alcohol in you if you think you could have even gotten a paw on her," he replied. "Actually, are you good to drive?"

"Yeah, man, don't worry about it," Finnick said, peeling out of the parking lot. The roads were fairly empty by this point in the night, meaning Finnick's occasional weave over the dividing line didn't cause too much trouble, save for nearly stopping Nick's heart once or twice. To his credit, Nick had to admit that tipsy Finnick's driving was barely worse than sober Finnick, though that wasn't saying much.

Although they ended up running one stop sign, they made it back to Nick's apartment in short order. "Hey, you want to just crash here?" Nick offered. "It'd save you the trouble of driving back."

"Nah, I'm good, man, thanks though," he replied. "I got the mattress in the back, so it's all good."

Nick shrugged. "Whatever you say, chief," he said. He unbuckled himself and stepped out into the rain.

"Yo, before you go," Finnick began. "Don't forget about what I said about that bunny. There ain't nothin' wrong with you wantin' her, and you're gonna keep gettin' all sad and mopey if you don't tell her."

Nick wanted to reply, but his voice caught in his throat. "I… yeah, thanks, man. Appreciate the talk," he mumbled, rain sliding down his fur on his face and dripping off his nose. He knew he wanted to shiver, but his body wouldn't let him.

Finnick waved him off. "Least I could do for you, besides, you're no fun to drink with when you're all pathetic and stuff." Nick closed the door, and Finnick gave him a peace sign through the window before pulling out and driving away.

Nick jogged inside to get out of the chilly rain, shaking himself off a bit once he was in the lobby. He pulled out his phone as he walked up the stairs and saw he had a text message from Judy. He simply stared at the notification the whole way up to his door. His eyes never left the notification as one paw fumbled with his keys, trying to open up to head inside. He stood in his doorway, dripping onto the floor when he opened it.

 _Hey, how was your night? Dinner was pretty good, and I think you'd like the restaurant. We should go sometime after work. Just wanted to say goodnight._

"We should go sometime after work," he muttered to himself. His shirt and slacks were quickly discarded and thrown onto the floor. He slinked into bed, throwing the covers onto himself haphazardly. As he lay on his back, the phone's screen stared back at him, proudly displaying Judy's message. The urge to type back nagged away in the back of his head, his thumbs precariously hovering over his keyboard.

 _Sounds good, Carrots. Pick the time and date and I'll be there. Night._

His pupils traced every character before hitting send. A tiny smile broke out on his muzzle, but he couldn't exactly place why. He felt the urge to second-guess his text, maybe figure out a better way to convey what he wanted, but both mini and real Finnick flashed in his mind, and he fought the urge down.

Instead of straw, his bed felt more akin to pine needles tonight. _At least that's an improvement,_ he thought. His chest felt a little tight as he stared at her text one last time before plugging in his phone and setting it on his nightstand. The alcohol remaining in his system began to sit heavy in his head, and he counted little grey cotton tails bouncing over a fence as sleep claimed him for the night.


	8. Chapter 8

**(A/N: Sorry for the late story, everyone. I've been trying to get a new chapter out every Friday, but I got a pretty nasty case of writer's block earlier this week. We're nearing the end, though, and I can't thank every one of my readers enough for their support. The writer's block hasn't fully dissipated, so I hope you all can forgive me if Chapter 9 isn't out by next Friday. I'm trying to balance finishing it quickly while also making a polished, finished chapter, and I'd prefer to take some extra time to get it right. Again, thank you all for your readership, and enjoy the chapter.)**

Judy's eyes opened to dim dawn sunlight streaming through her window. A paw fumbled and flopped around on her nightstand trying to find her phone. Her ears were splayed out across her pillow, and her free hand rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. Looking down at herself, she sighed when she saw her wrinkled clothes from the previous night. _Didn't change into my pajamas,_ she thought. She stuck her tongue out and grimaced at her morning breath. _Ugh, didn't brush my teeth, either_. Glancing toward her phone, the screen read 6:28 a.m.

Snapping up, she reached over to her alarm clock and hastily flipped the alarm off, ensuring that Bucky and Pronk would enjoy a pleasant morning's rest, as well as making sure that her routine was uninterrupted by marital bickering. Before she set her phone down to begin getting ready for the day, a little notification in the corner of the screen blinked at her. Her paw tentatively went to open up her messages when memories of the previous night came storming back. How many messages she deleted, the one she ultimately sent to Nick, and falling asleep thinking of the color of his eyes all blared in the forefront of her mind. She lingered pressing down on the little letter icon, unsure what he his reply could be, if it the message was even from him.

 _You're being silly, that text could be from Dad saying something about a great early-morning harvest,_ she thought. _Or Clawhauser telling you about some party he went to._ She rolled her eyes at her own nervousness and flipped one of her ears off her shoulder. Once she opened up her messages, a new text from Nick was all that was displayed

 _Sounds good, Carrots. Pick the time and date and I'll be there. Night._

Her nervousness now felt well-founded. Her eyes zeroed in on the word "date" before realizing he was talking about a day, not their activities. She resisted the urge to thump herself on the forehead. _Still, he likes the idea. I wonder how he likes the idea, though? Does he just like it as a way to spend time with a friend? Would he want it to be a date? Oh geez, am I worrying too much? Or not enough?_

Judy spent the better half of several minutes switching between re-reading the 13 words Nick had sent her, picking them apart to analyze any hidden meaning, and telling herself she was overreacting before she absentmindedly looked at her alarm clock and saw she was behind schedule. The phone fell to her bed as she hopped out and walked toward her shower. Soon, warm water and rose-scented body wash enveloped her senses, though it did little to take her mind off Nick.

She let herself soak in the steam for longer than she would normally. Trying to pull her mind off her partner, she made a mental note to give Cam's number to the lynx that runs the bakery she gets her and Nick's coffee each morning. _Never would have expected Cam to be into pred-prey stuff,_ she thought. She was vaguely aware of how predator and prey relationships worked out, mostly through flipping through magazines at the grocery store and the occasional news article that popped up on her Chitter feed. She'd never given such relationships too much thought, but the revelation that Cam was interested in predators was too juicy not to think about. _I wonder if he's likes getting chased, or if he's into "outsmarting" a predator. He seems like the type to want to outwit everyone, but I bet that means he'd like getting chased down._

Soon, she was giggling to herself as a movie of Cam fleeing on all fours from an agile lynx played in her head. Moments after the arctic hare rounded a corner with the lynx hot on his heels, she took Cam's place and Nick took the lynx's, his teeth bared in an aggressive grin. Her heart stumbled and tripped over itself trying to race as quickly as possible, and her breath caught in her throat. Try as she might, the visage of Nick showing off his fangs persisted and refused to dissipate. She felt warm, and it was apparent to her that it had nothing to do with the water.

She reached for the handle and shut off the water, shivering as the last second of water went from hot to cold. A towel was quickly snatched off the rack, and her bed beckoned with comfort and soft down pillows. Try as she might to resist its call, she flopped her still-damp body down on it while lazily drying herself.

 _You gotta get this out of your head. He's your partner; you can't go acting all doe-eyed and goofy when you're on the job,_ she thought, drying each of her ears off one at at time.

What was normal, though? Pretending to ignore the burn in her ears whenever he smiled wasn't an option, and if Cam could make relationships with predators work, why couldn't she?

 _Duh, because he's your partner, you dumb bunny. That much is obvious._

A lead anchor dropped in her chest at that thought, and the pushback in her head was strong enough that the argument fell flat immediately.

 _So what if he's my partner, other officers have made it work. Besides, I'm sure we could figure it out. If we could both get through ZPD training, we could get through this._

A wide, toothy grin spread across her muzzle like the swell of a crowd at a concert. She could imagine Nick there, smiling along with her at the Gazelle show after the Nighthowler case, shaking his hips after she'd given him a little encouragement. She recalled the unabashed joy from that night, dancing for hours with him. She was exhausted in the morning, but she still got up early enough to send him off with a hug to his first day of training with the ZPD.

The alarm clock mocked her with a reminder that time was being wasted. She huffed that her reverie would be broken by something so simple as the time on a clock, and struggled to come to terms with the minutes of lateness that was inevitable at this rate. Accepting that there would be a few spots that weren't completely dry, she finished toweling off quickly before heading to the closet and snatched one of the only two remaining clean uniforms off a hanger. Her clothes were thrown on haphazardly, but it would have to do. She bounded down the stairs, but stopped when she realized Cam had dropped her off last night; their car was still at the precinct. A palm found her forehead with a loud smack. The prospect of taking the bus was intensely frustrating, but she'd have to make it work. She broke into a quick jog, and within minutes, was at a nearby bus stop. She frowned and tapped her foot after sitting down on the bench, calculating exactly how many minutes behind schedule her forgetfulness would put them.

* * *

Nick's alarm trumpeted in his ears, warranting a low growl at the interruption of his sleep. The urge to throw the infernal noisemaker against the wall grew in him, but he resisted and tossed the covers off himself. _At least Carrots didn't have to find me nearly naked again_. He flicked the alarm off and headed into the bathroom to begin his morning routine. Brushing his fangs only took a minute or so, prolonged slightly by the progressively louder yawns that kept coming out of his mouth. His shower was, for the first time in weeks, not a horrible way to wake up; he'd remembered that the apartment manager had repaired his hot water heater and let himself melt into the mini-sauna it created. His mind drifted to Finnick, and he sighed. _I shouldn't have let him drive home last night,_ he thought. _He should have gotten a taxi or something._

Thinking of Finnick lead his mind to the bar and the events that transpired the previous night. The paws rubbing body wash into his fur froze when he remembered he hadn't actually told Judy what had happened. _Well, I hope she's in the mood for big news this morning_ , he thought.

Stepping out of the shower, he grabbed a towel and headed for his room, drying himself along the way. He spent the better half of a few minutes trying to get his thick fur at least dry enough to not soak his uniform before he opened up his closet to find it empty. He'd changed at the station last night so he could head out with Finnick, he remembered. A very melodramatic groan escaped his lips as he rummaged through his hamper and drawers for something to wear to work. Some wrinkled khaki slacks and one of his favorite Hawaiian shirts would have to cut it. His phone buzzed on his nightstand, nearly falling off from the vibration. He ran over and snatched it right as it was about to fall, finishing with a celebratory fist pump. "What, no one saw that?" he asked to the empty room. "Well, I saw it, and it was awesome."

He went to his messages and saw a text from Judy informing him of the bus situation, but reassuring him she'd still have their morning coffee. He smiled despite the news that he'd have to take public transportation to work. As he was about to close it, the phone vibrated in his hand again with a new message from Judy saying she'd be there in a few minutes. He pocketed the phone and finished getting dressed, waiting in the kitchen. He told himself he was calm and not excited to see her, but his subconscious knew he was lying.

Right as he was about to get into another mental argument with himself over the severity of his feelings for his partner, as if right on cue, he heard a knock at his door.

"Nick?" she called out from behind the door. "I splurged a bit on the pastries today. I know how much you hate the bus, so I figured they might help."

He grinned and shook his head. "There you go again, Carrots, thinking of everyone but yourself. That's gonna get you in trouble one day," he replied, walking to the door.

"I did this for me, too, you know," she said. "Not like the bus is any more appealing to m-"

She was interrupted by the door opening with Nick standing in the doorway. She giggled when she saw his favorite, garish Hawaiian shirt staring back at her like a siren of color. "Uh, Nick? Mind telling me why you look like you're ready to go to a luau instead of to work?" she asked.

He shrugged. "I changed at the station last night to head out with Finnick, so I'll get my uniform there," he said. "And don't diss this shirt, you know I have impeccable style, it's just too auteur for country bunnies to understand." He gestured to his shirt with a flourish, finishing it with a small pirouette, which earned a girlish bout of laughter from Judy.

"Oh, impeccable is definitely one way to put it," she said. The scent of two coffees and fresh baked goods wafted through the air to Nick's snout, and he found himself salivating in anticipation. He spotted the drinks on the ground next to Judy, who could swear his pupils were dilated. "A little hungry, Nick?" she asked, bending down to pick up the bag. "Apparently, they're trying out this new blueberry turnover down at the bakery. They got a deal with some local farmers to use blueberries picked that morning." She waved the bag in front of his face like a hypnotist. "Interested?"

Nick swallowed hard. "More interested than I've ever been for anything else in my life," he whispered, his paws slowly reaching out to the bag. Judy teasingly pulled the bag back a few inches before she saw the pleading in his eyes. She swore she heard him whimper.

"Well, normally I make you wait until we get in the car, but since we don't have one today…" she said, tossing the bag to him. "I guess you can eat now."

He fumbled with the bag, juggling it like an ancient vase before settling down and pulling out a crisp, blueberry pastry. Tentatively taking a bite, the warm, flaky crust nearly melted in his mouth, and he could have sworn he was momentarily teleported to an alternative universe made of pure sunshine, blueberries, and happiness. A smile broke out across his muzzle as wide as any he could remember in his lifetime

"So? What's the verdict?" she asked. "Hello?"

He was pulled from his blueberry-induced catatonia before realizing he was still standing in front of her with half-chewed pastry in his mouth. He quickly swallowed and shrugged. "Eh, it's pretty alright," he said, fighting to maintain his poker face. It was a losing fight.

"You're such a jerk," Judy laughed. She handed him his coffee and picked up her own. "And as much as I'd like to sit here and admire as you eat a Danish more lovingly than Clawhauser ever has, we need to catch the next bus."

His cup was millimeters from his lips when he scowled. "Right, the bus, public transportation, that thing," he grumbled. "Also, this is a tart, not a Danish. I expect better from you." He walked out of the doorway and closed the door, locking it behind him. The pair quickly made their way to the closest stop and sat down on the bench. He reached into the bag and pulled out a fluffy doughnut. He passed it to her, and they were soon both eating and enjoying their food in silence.

After a several moments, Nick spoke up. "So, uh, how was dinner with Mr. Cotton?" he asked, doing his best to sound as nonchalant as possible.

"Oh! Um, it was pretty good," she replied, trying to mimic his aloof tones. Neither was doing a particularly good job. "I know you got my text. The restaurant was really good, and pretty affordable, too. I bet you'd like it."

"Wait, so decent food and cheap is all it takes for me to like a restaurant?" he asked. "Are my standards that low? Once again, Carrots, your words wound me."

She snorted. "I said good and affordable, not decent and cheap. Those are your words, not mine," she replied.

A moment of silence drifted between them, making time for chewing and swallowing. "Sounds like you had a good time, then," he said.

"Yeah, Cam's a really nice guy, though he, uh, told me about an argument you two had," she said slowly, her words creeping along to gauge his reaction.

He was halfway through taking a sip of his coffee when he sputtered. "Oh, hah, did he now?" he asked, fidgeting in place. Judy noticed the tip of his tail flicking back and forth. "And, um, just what exactly did he say?"

Judy paused and looked directly at him with an intensity that made him shudder. "He said that you accused him of having something to do with the case, and claimed he was out to get me," she replied.

Nick's head found his paws as he hunched down, trying to hide his face. "Ugh, I'm really sorry, Carrots," he began. "I let my emotions get the better of me, and I should probably apologize, and it was a huge-"

"Nick, Nick, it's okay," she said. "He didn't seem to have any hard feelings, and I'm not mad or anything."

He looked up, his ears folded back. "Wait, really?"

"Not anymore, although you were a jerk," she said, bopping him on the nose. "Don't do it again."

He chuckled as it dawned on him that he was in the clear. "Hah, sure thing, Fluff. Scout's honor." He held up a two-fingered salute and put his other paw over his heart.

"We'll have to see about that," she said. "And I don't know, I talked it over with Cam, and you're just trying to look out for me. You're stubborn and thickheaded and shouldn't do it again, but it came from a good place."

Nick tugged on his collar to loosen it. "Geez Carrots, you sure know how to flatter a guy," he said.

"What about you? How was your night?" she asked.

At that moment, Nick felt like he could drown in his absentmindedness. "Oh crap, that's right," he said, turning to her and grabbing her shoulder. She recoiled slightly, taken aback by the sudden fervor of his voice. "Fluff, you are not gonna believe what happened."

A city bus rounded a corner to pull up to their stop, interrupting him from finishing his thought. "Finally, at least we're not gonna be too late," she said, grabbing the bag and her coffee. "C'mon, you can tell me on the way."

Nick sighed and grabbed his cup as well and headed onto the bus with Judy.

The pair found a seat together near the back. For an early morning bus, it was sparsely populated, with only a few older mammals and a family of hedgehogs in the front. They sat down and began the fruitless task of trying to get comfortable. "Alright, so apparently there was something I'm not going to believe?" she asked. "Let me guess, Finnick got hit on by a hippo or something."

"No, wait, well, no, but how'd you- never mind," Nick said, flabbergasted at the accuracy of her guess. "No, we ran into that boar and hyena from the stake-out."

It was all Judy could do to keep herself from spewing a mouthful of coffee all over the seat in front of her. "WHAT?" she asked, the incredulity of her shriek reverberating in Nick's ears. "You just, what, found yourselves at the same bar? And you didn't think to call me?"

"Wait, no, that's not the point," he said. "Besides, I wasn't going to interrupt your dinner over this. You were talking about the case with Cam."

"Well, yeah, but who cares? What happened?"

He crouched low in the seat and gestured for Judy to do the same. "You might want to stay quiet for this next part," he said quietly. "They were meeting with someone at the bar."

Judy's face had been in a permanent state of shock for the last several moments, and Nick feared that this news would permanently lock her features in place. _Eh, she's still cute, though,_ he thought. _No, bad Nick, now's not the time for ogling your partner. Uh, not that there's a good time for it, well, I guess when she's in that meter maid uniform, it's not the worst thi-_

"Hello, Nick?" she asked, grabbing onto his shoulder. "I asked who they were meeting. Who was it?"

Nick awareness having apparently failed him, he felt a chill run up his spine and shook it off. "Oh, right! It gets even crazier. I recognized the guy they met with from the precinct. It's another boar, Marty. Works in dispatch."

What had been an excited look of shock across Judy's muzzle sank into melancholy. "So there was a mole after all," she mumbled. "And you're sure about this? There's no way he could be unaware of what that group of mammals is doing?"

He nodded grimly. "Not a shred of doubt in my mind, Finnick heard everything," he replied. "And we recorded it, too."

"I was really hoping Internal Affairs was wrong and they were just getting lucky or something," she said. "Wait, recorded it? On what?"

"Duh, that carrot pen, of course," he said. "What else would you record case-breaking conversations on?"

"Well, can you show me?"

"Sure, let me just-" he said, patting over his pockets, his paws moving faster the longer he didn't feel any pen in them. His jaw hung slack as he stared at her with a look of horror. "Oh no, no, please no," he muttered, looking around and under the seat cushion.

"Uh, what's up? Wait, you didn't lose it, did you?"

He looked up, a sheepish grin spreading across his muzzle. "Uh, I don't think 'lost' is the proper word to use, though I may have left it back at the bar."

Judy groaned. "You mean the same bar that the mammals who we've been investigating were at?"

"Ah, yes, it may have been the same bar," he replied. "Look, we'll just have to head over there when we get to the precinct. I'm sure it just rolled under the table or something. Hell, I bet our waitress picked it up." He leaned back in his seat and took a long sip from his coffee. "It'll be fine, Carrots, don't worry."

"How could- I can't- ah, there's no point now," she said, her ears flopping down as she rolled her eyes.

Outwardly, Nick was a picture of aloof confidence, but inside, he was trying to contain a meltdown. _Stupid, stupid! How could you leave the pen there? The one concrete source of evidence that you had? The thing you practically begged your friend to risk his life to get? And you just forget it?_

"I just can't believe there was actually a mole in the force, you know?" Judy asked, pulling Nick out of his self-loathing.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know, I guess I just assumed that every cop was in this together. Serving the public and all that." Her paws rubbed against each other, her fingers nervously entangling themselves with one another. "Knowing that one of them was willing to sell out… it's a betrayal, I guess." Her face fell and Nick noticed her nose twitching.

Nick put a paw on her shoulder and rubbed it gently. "I don't know if it'll make you feel any better, but from what I could tell, it wasn't just a guy looking to make a quick buck," he said.

She looked up at him. "What do you mean?"

"There were some, ah, extenuating circumstances, I guess," he began. "I don't think he was blackmailed or anything, but I definitely got the impression he was manipulated into helping them."

"Well, if that's the case, why didn't he come to us for help?" she asked.

Nick simply shrugged. "I don't know, Carrots. Most mammals have their own reasons for doing stuff, and a lot of the time they'll stick by a bad decision for even worse reasons. It doesn't make them bad, just misguided, if you want to look at it like that."

She didn't reply and stared into her coffee cup. Nick noticed her silence after several moments and piped up. "Hey, uh, you've been in the tank a while there, penny for your thoughts?" he asked.

She looked up and gave a weak smile. "It's nothing. I'm just wondering where you got so good at saying the right thing," she said.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

Her grin spread wider. "Don't worry about it, dumb fox," she replied, giving him a light punch on the shoulder.

"Uh, is this some sort of bunny mind game that I'm not aware of?" he asked. "Because if you're trying to get into my head, I can assure you, it's not working."

Meanwhile, the inside of Nick's head was ablaze as his mind worked furiously to try to decipher exactly what Judy's words meant. A small portion of it was currently dedicated to making his lie seem believable, though he probably could have spared a bit more for it.

Judy shook her head and giggled. "Yup, you got me, us bunnies actually have secret mind control powers that get stronger the more of us there are," she said, waving her paws in Nick's face as though she were casting an ancient incantation. "That's why we're so good at multiplying; for our eventual goal of world domination." She finished with a flourish that was reminiscent of jazz hands.

Nick had to cover his mouth to keep his laughter from spilling out. "Hah, alright, that was pretty good," he said. "Where'd you become an actress all of a sudden?"

"Third grade, of course," she said. "I was the star of the school play."

The pair refused to let their banter slow down even as they stopped a block from the precinct and hopped out.

. The main hall was decidedly less crowded than normal, with only a few mammals mulling about. McHorn had a smug grin as he hauled in a sheep in handcuffs. He noticed Nick and Judy, and waved over to them.

"Hah, got this guy on my way into work," he called out from across the room. "Thought I wouldn't notice him running two stop signs and a red light."

"Good catch, Horns," Nick replied, throwing a thumbs up in his direction. McHorn responded in kind.

"Okay, so you get dressed, I'll grab the keys, and we can head over to this bar, got it?" she asked as they walked past Clawhauser's desk. The cheetah spoke in quick, apologetic tones on the phone. Nick and Judy could hear the man on the line's voice from yards away.

"Got it," he replied, making a beeline for the locker rooms. Judy headed for the women's locker room to grab their cruiser keys. They quickly realized they were heading the same direction, and shared an awkward laugh."

"Heh, guess we weren't really splitting up," he said.

The two laughed awkwardly again before looking at one another.

"Let's just go grab the stuff," she said, her face deadpan. Nick nodded and nothing more was exchanged before they reached their respective locker rooms.

Nick got dressed in his uniform as expediently as he could while trying to press out the wrinkles with his paws. Meanwhile, Judy snatched her keys from her locker and met him outside. Within minutes, the pair were at their cruiser, the engine pleasantly rumbling beneath the hood.

"So, you're confident that the pen is at this bar," she asked. "That's the last place you saw it?"

"It's definitely the last place I saw it, though I can't guarantee it's still there," he replied. "I'm sure it is, though. It's just a dinky old pen, it's not like it's worth stealing or anything."

Judy put on a face of faux-hurt to disguise the smidgen of real hurt at his words. "Hey, that pen has done great things for us! I don't want to hear you insult it again," she said, buckling her seatbelt.

"Easy, Fluff, point taken," he said. "Now, I nearly died numerous times on the way to the bar last night with Finnick behind the wheel. Think you can give me a nice, relaxing ride for a change?"

Judy shrugged and put it in neutral, revving the engine. "I'm not sure, Nick. That depends on how many jerks I meet on the road, doesn't it?"

Nick gulped as she put it in drive and roared out of the precinct parking lot.

Despite her furious exit from the precinct, Judy soon found herself in the midst of late morning Savanna traffic once again. Pop music was quietly playing through the car's speakers, which she absentmindedly bobbed her head to. "So, what exactly happened last night?" she asked. "Fill me in on details."

Nick had just taken the last large bite of his last blueberry tart, and had to chew for several seconds before he could answer. Judy rolled her eyes at him. "You know, it wouldn't kill you to take smaller bites."

"Can't help it," he replied, his mouth halfway-full of pastry. He swallowed the rest. "Not in a fox's nature to take small bites."

"I'm pretty sure that's completely made up, so if you could give me a rundown of how you managed to get incriminating evidence while you were getting at a bar with your friend, I'd appreciate it."

Nick ran through the early parts of the night, trying to downplay just how much he and Finnick were drinking. He couldn't get anything past Judy, though.

"Wait, it sounds like you guys were drinking for a while," she said, interrupting him. "Why were you getting drunk? Did you mean to?"

Nick rubbed the back of his head, and his ears gave a small twitch. "Hah, well, I was kinda bummed about you going to dinner with Cam, and I hadn't seen Finnick in a while, so it was like a little sad celebration I guess."

"You got drunk because you were upset I went to dinner with Cam?" she asked, her eyes wide.

"Well, and because I hadn't seen him in a while," he replied with a nervous chuckle. "You know, little of column A, little of column B."

Her eyes narrowed at him. _I bet it was a lot of column A and none of column B,_ she thought. _Were you that jealous that you had to go get plastered with Finnick to feel better about it?_

Nick felt her eyes boring holes through his head. He struggled to keep his tail under control, cursing his lack of a poker face around her. He knew normally he was a picture of composure, but around her, it all came crumbling down

"I mean, yeah, we got a little drunk and had a good time. Look, the story really begins after we'd been there awhile. I noticed Raul and his crew walking in and ducked. Finnick and I kept an eye on them after they went down and sat at Marty's table," he explained.

"So, you just watched them? How'd you get a recording of their conversation then?"

Nick found himself hot under the collar once again. "Well, I may have, er, talked Finnick into sneaking under the table behind them and with the pen and recording it."

Judy gawked at him, nearly drifting into the lane on her left. An irate meerkat honked at her, which earned a death glare from Judy. She snapped back to Nick. "You're telling me you managed to talk a known criminal, a fennec fox, into eavesdropping on a conversation between a potential mob boss, his hyena enforcer, and their crooked police informant? And all this for an internal investigation amongst the ZPD? While you both were drunk?" Her voice was climbing in volume the longer she talked.

"Hey, we did our best to sober up once we saw them," he retorted, although he had to admit it was a weak comeback. "And, uh, yes, that is what we did. But it worked though!" he interjected quickly. "We got out of there with no one the wiser."

Judy took a deep breath and exhaled, counting to five. "Nick, that was incredibly dangerous and I can't believe you'd take that risk," she began, eyes forward at the road. His ears folded back, and despite the urge he had to defend himself, he stayed silent. "But, it really worked out," she said. "Even if we can't recover the pen, Finnick's testimony would be enough if we both vouched for him. You probably cut the investigation time from weeks to hours." They pulled up to a red light, and she turned back to him with a proud smile. "It was risky, foolish, and dangerous, but that's the kind of officer you are, and I don't think I'd have it any other way."

Her eyes positively beamed at him; he swore it was like looking at the sun. He felt uncomfortable under the intensity and purity of her smile, and he felt blood rush into his cheeks and ears. "Geez, Carrots, you really know how to make a fox feel appreciated," he mumbled out through a bashful grin.

"Well, I know you've been kind of on edge about Cam the last few days," she began. "You just… well, it worked out. You're a good cop, Nick, and you ought to know that."

The car evaporated away from Nick into mist, and he felt himself floating through the sky on a cloud. All his worries were left in the dust as he zoomed around in the freedom of the air. However, his journey was interrupted by Judy's voice.

"Hey, isn't that Finnick's van?" she asked.

Nick blinked a few times and saw they were at The Predator's Gambit. Finnick's beaten up conversion van sat outside, taking up nearly two spaces. A large dent was in the rear bumper, one that he didn't recognize. "Yeah, it is," he replied. "I wonder what he's doing here?"

Judy found a parking space and the pair wasted no time heading for the door. The bar was supposed to be closed right now judging from the posted hours. Judy reached for the handle, and before Nick could voice that it was probably locked, the door opened and they headed inside.

The bar looked different in the daylight with no one in it, he noticed. Finnick and Betty were by the bar itself. Finnick had his wallet out and looked to be grumbling about something.

"Well, I guess let's head over," Judy said. "Is that your waitress from last night?"

Nick nodded. Finnick turned his head and saw the pair walking his way. "Yo, Nick, what are you doin' here?" he asked.

"We, er, I didn't grab the pen from last night," he replied. "We came back to look for it and ask Betty if she saw it. Hold on, what are you doing here?"

"He's finally paying off that tab that he owes me," Betty said with a smug grin. "'Bout time, too. Didn't want to have to sic Kristoff on you. Lord knows you'd be the tiniest thing he's thrown out of here."

Finnick continued his grumblings as he flipped through his wallet and pulled out a thick wad of cash. Nick overheard a few choice swears amongst his incoherent muttering and had to restrain from laughing.

"Also, you mind telling me what's with that new dent in your van?" he asked.

Finnick sneered, but Nick knew he was embarrassed. "I, uh, should have taken you up on that cab last night," he replied. "And what kinda cop are you, anyway? Lettin' a drunk fox drive home like that. You oughta be ashamed." One of Finnick's paws found his hip in a most unmasculine pose as he sassed Nick.

"Hold up, you let Finnick drive home drunk last night?" Judy asked, glaring at her partner.

"Well, I mean, he'd already driven me home, and he _seemed_ sober enough…" Nick mumbled.

"You let him drive you home drunk?" Judy asked, her voice getting louder. "Nick, don't make me take back what I said in the car."

Finnick just sat there cackling. "Hah, that's right bunny, you whip him good," he said.

"And don't think you're off the hook, either," she said, turning to Finnick. "You, in good faith, drove my partner and your friend home after you'd been drinking. What do you have to say for yourself?" She accusingly pointed a finger at him and poked him in the chest.

Finnick took a step back, uneasy by the sudden reversal in her attitude. "W-woah, hey now, I mean, Nick let me do it! What about him?"

She advanced on him another step, refusing to back down. Betty simply sat back and watched with a bemused smile on her face. "Oh, I'll talk to him about it later. But you're his friend, and that means by proxy, you're mine, and I expect more out of my friends," she declared. Finnick felt an overwhelming urge to stare at his feet, the power of his voice suddenly gasping for breath. "So what do you have to say for yourself?"

"I- uh- well…" he stuttered. He looked at Nick for some sort of hint, but his friend gave him nothing other than a noncommittal shrug. "Er, sorry, bunny," he said tentatively. "It, uh, won't happen again."

"No, not bunny, Officer Hopps, or Judy, if you'd like," she said. A moment passed. "Go on."

Finnick scowled in inverse correlation to the grin Nick was wearing; he'd never seen his friend so thoroughly beaten. "Sorry… _Judy,_ " he said.

"That's what I like to hear," she replied, smiling again. She turned back to Nick. "So, I think we've got some searching to do."

"Uh, we're technically closed right now, so is there something I can help you two with?" Betty asked.

"Remember that carrot pen Finnick and I had at the table last night? Well, I think we left it here," Nick said. "It has, uh, sentimental value, so we were hoping to get it back." He turned to Judy, silently asking her to back him up.

"It's from our first case together," Judy said. "We were hoping to just look around for a few minutes."

Betty cocked an eyebrow, seemingly unconvinced. "Why exactly did you have it at the bar, then?" she asked.

"I was showing it to Finnick. Look, it's a little embarrassing, so we just wanted to see if it rolled under a table or something. Did you see it when you closed?"

She shrugged, returning to counting the cash that Finnick had handed her. "Can't say I did, though if it turns up I'll let ya know," she said. "Go ahead and look around for a few, I don't mind."

Nick and Judy both nodded and started checking under each table in the bar, paying special attention to the booth he and Finnick sat at the previous night. Despite digging through every filthy cushion and checking under every table, though, the pen was nowhere to be found.

"Damn, where the hell could it be…" Nick muttered, getting up off his paws and knees. He dusted off his slacks for a moment before turning to Judy. "Ugh, what are we gonna do? That pen had everything on it?"

She got out from under a table and stood up, pausing a moment to think. "If you convince Finnick to talk to Bogo, that might be enough," she said. "It would be up to him, though."

Nick sighed and looked over to where Finnick and Betty where. Their money dispute settled, the two were talking casually. He swallowed hard. "Yeah, you've got a point," Nick said. "I'll talk to him."

He made his way across the room. Finnick noticed him and called out, "Yo, thought you were lookin' for that pen?"

Nick put his paws in his pockets. "We, uh, couldn't find it," he replied. "Say, Betty, think you could give us a moment?"

Betty nodded. "Sure thing, hon," she replied, walking back toward the kitchen, her fingers greedily flipping through the stack of bills Finnick had given her.

"So, I know I asked a lot of you last night," Nick said, drawing out the words as he searched for the right ones. "And I hate to ask more of you, but without the recording, we're kinda stuck."

Finnick hopped off the stool he was sitting on and raised an eyebrow. "And just what exactly would you be askin' of me this time?"

Nick released a breath he didn't know he was holding. "Would you… dammit," he said. "Would you be willing to come with us and tell the chief of police what you know?"

Finnick rolled his eyes and huffed. "Man, you gotta be kiddin' me. First, I risk my tail for this case or whatever, and now you want me to walk into the lion's' den itself?"

"C'mon, it's not that bad, and it's not like you have a big record or anything," Nick pleaded. "I'll try to get you anonymity if you promise to tell Bogo everything you heard last night."

One of Finnick's paws went behind his back. "Yeah, but why would I tell him anything when you can just show him this." He held the carrot pen in his paw, a fang-filled grin lighting up his face.

"I- you- are you kidding me right now?" Nick exclaimed. His face contorted back and forth through several stages of rage, exasperation and sheer joy. "You had it the whole time?"

Judy's ears perked up from across the room at the commotion. She noticed the orange pen and quickly ran over. "Wait, you guys found it?" she asked.

Nick scowled and pointed at his friend. "No, Finny here had it with him since we've been here," he said.

"Actually, I've had it since last night," he said. "Not my fault your stupid ass didn't even think to grab it off the table. You should be thankin' me."

"Thanking you? You let me think it was missing!"

"And that's just a tiny bit of payment for all the crazy stuff you talked me into last night," he replied. "So don't you even think of bitchin' about it to me."

Nick pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "I… suppose that's fair, in a twisted, sick sort of way," he said. "So can we have the pen?"

Finnick flipped it to him. "Yeah, knock yourselves out. I don't want nothin' to do with what's on that recording."

Nick snatched the pen out of the air and handed it to Judy. "You wanna go put this in the car, Carrots?" he asked. "Just in case the universe wants to make it even more difficult for us to transport a pen to the station."

"Sure thing," she replied, bounding out the door to their cruiser.

"So, you tell her yet?" Finnick asked, looking up at Nick.

Nick took a deep breath. "I… don't know about it, I mean, she's my partner. I don't wanna risk things getting awkward between us," he replied, eyes downcast toward the floor.

"C'mon don't give me that crap," Finnick said, jumping up to smack him on the back of the head. Nick winced in pain. "Hey, what the hell?"

"I know you wanna tell her, and you're gonna keep bein' pathetic until you do," he replied. "Besides, I see what you were sayin' last night."

Nick looked down at him, eyes widening. "Hmm? What do you mean?"

"Man, I bet that bunny could kick your ass seven different ways," he laughed, swatting Nick on the back. "You always did like chicks that were tougher than you."

"Hey, I don't want to hear it, Mr. 'Sowwy, Judy, I pwomise it won't happen again,'" he said, sticking his lower lip out and acting as infantile as possible.

"Watch it, whipping boy, or I'll let her know that you were bein' rude to me."

"What, that's your comeback? You'll tattle on me? What happened to not being a snitch?" Nick asked, a bemused smile on his muzzle.

"Whatever gets results, man," Finnick shrugged. "And I can tell that bunny's got you by the tail. Which, if I remember correctly, you were into when you were dating that ocelot chick years back."

Nick resisted the urge to smack his friend. "Shut up, man! Not so loud!"

Judy strolled back inside and looked at the two. "Well, I guess we should get this information to the Chief," she replied. "What were you two talking about?"

Finnick gestured them both away with a paw. "Ah, Nick was just tellin' me a joke. You should ask him about it, it was hilarious," he said, grinning wickedly at his friend.

"Oh, alright," Judy replied with a smile. "Ready to go, Nick?"

Nick glared at Finnick. "Yeah, let's get out of here."

The pair walked out the door and headed for their cruiser. The mid-morning heat beat down on them without relent, and Nick felt the urge to pant. He stayed a few feet behind Judy as they walked, watching her tail bob back and forth with each step. He could feel himself getting even warmer under the collar, and it had little to do with the sun.

Soon, they were back at the car and buckling themselves in. Judy turned the cruiser on, and Nick immediately reached for the air conditioning to flick it to full blast.

"What was that joke that Finnick mentioned?" she asked.

"Oh! Yeah, the hilarious joke," he replied, wracking his brain to come up with something. "Er, I don't know if you'd like it, it's not really your style of humor."

Judy cocked an eyebrow. "Really? You think I'm some dainty flower that can't handle a joke? I've been a cop longer than you have. Lay it on me."

"Uh, well, alright," he said. He was drawing a blank and struggled to piece together something funny on the fly. "Why can't, um, elephants go to the beach?"

Judy sat and pondered a moment. "Hmm, I don't know, why?"

"Because they can't keep their trunks up!" _Oh god, Wilde, that was the worst joke you've ever said. You've really done it now, you stupi-_

Judy broke into a fit of giggles. "Hah, okay, that one was pretty good. A lot better than your three-humped camel one you've told a hundred times."

Nick sat flabbergasted. He was mildly aware that his mouth was hanging open, and closed it quickly.

"Why did you think I wouldn't like it though?" Judy asked, pulling out of the parking lot.

"Oh, you know how you country bunnies are, can't handle sophisticated city humor from guys like me," Nick replied, straightening his tie with unnecessary panache.

Judy rolled her eyes and smiled. "You are such an ass. What am I gonna do with you?"

 _Say take me to dinner tonight, say take me to dinner tonight. What are you waiting for?_

"Uh, take me… back to the precinct so we can finish up this case?"

Judy smiled at him. "Sounds like a good idea."

 _That was weak,_ he grumbled silently. He quietly sipped his coffee and stewed in his thoughts.

The drive back was thankfully more or less clear of traffic, though there were a few moments of rage from Judy. Nick heavily doubted that he would ever tire of her poor driving manners.

Nick pocketed the carrot pen as they pulled into the precinct. Once inside, they headed for Clawhauser's desk.

"Hey, Clawhauser," Judy said, waving to the cheetah, who looked to be doing is absolute best to look busy without actually being busy. The two shared a look; and wordlessly agreed his acting could use some work.

"Oh, hey you two" he replied. "They missed you at the bullpen today, where were you guys?"

"Just taking care of something for the Chief," Nick replied. "Is he in?"

"Yeah, he's in his office," he said. "Why, is something up?"

"Nah, we just wanted to go over a case with him," Judy said. "Thank you."

The pair nearly ran to Bogo's office, leaving Clawhauser to sit in confusion at his desk. Judy threw open the door to his office, startling the buffalo.

"Hopps? Wilde? What's the meaning of this?" he asked, his tone clipped and terse. "And I hope you two have a good explanation for missing the briefing this morning. That's two in a row you've missed now."

The two took a seat without being offered. "Oh, I think you'll see we had an excellent reason," Nick replied, pulling out the pen and sliding across the table. "For you, Chief."

Bogo glanced from the pen, to Nick, and back to the pen a few times. "Wilde, while I appreciate the gesture, my birthday is months away, and quite frankly, I expect better than a novelty pen," he said, unamused. He set the pen back on the table.

Nick rolled his eyes at Bogo's comment; it was impossible not to notice the tiny smirk the chief was wearing. "Here, allow me, Chief," Judy said, and clicked the play button.

It was the first time Judy had heard the grainy recording, and she was in as much shock as Bogo, who uncharacteristically let his emotions show through to his officers. His eyes went wide during Raul's and Marty's discussion, and he leaned forward in earnest anticipation for the whole duration of the recording. After a few minutes, it concluded with a poignant _click._

Bogo sat with his hooves clasped in front of his face for several moments, and the three basked in uncomfortable silence. "Officers Hopps and Wilde, might I ask where you procured this conversation?" he asked after stewing in his thoughts.

"You'll have to ask Nic- er, Officer Wilde about it," Judy replied. "He managed to get it last night while I was trying to gather more information from a contact."

Bogo's eyebrows lifted noticeably. "Officer Wilde, is that true?" he asked, picking up the pen. "Where did you get this?"

Nick rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, Chief, I got it with the help of an… informant, you could say. He was the one who initially gave us some names to work off of," he said. "We had met at a bar to, uh, discuss the case, and the perps from our stake-out happened to walk into late at night."

Nick briefly described his night with Finnick, embellishing where appropriate. He left out the exact reason for their meetup, how much they'd had to drink, Finnick's name, his history, how much danger he was in to record the conversation, and their near-miss exit. _Come to think of it, I'm basically leaving out everything,_ Nick thought to himself with a chuckle.

"Is something funny, Officer Wilde?" Bogo asked, unblinking.

Nick sat up a little straighter at the question. "Oh, uh, no sir."

Bogo listened attentively while Nick described his night. Once he'd concluded, Bogo stood up and picked up the pen. "Now, it's obvious that you hadn't fully planned this out, and it seems like it was extremely risky," he began. Nick felt the urge to fidget in his seat, and he looked to Judy with worried eyes. "However, Officer Wilde, I have to say you've outdone yourself in the best possible way." Bogo smiled, and Nick could swear it was the first time he'd seen him smile in private, especially in front of him. "Not only is this irrefutable, but it will prove invaluable in the inevitable court proceedings that follow this." He set the pen back down. "I have to say, and believe me, I hate to say it, but I'm incredibly impressed, Wilde."

Judy positively beamed at him, and Nick felt overcome with uncharacteristic modesty. "Well, what can I say, Chief, I jus-"

"I want you to understand, I really, really loathe to admit it," Bogo continued.

Nick's smile fell deadpan. "Yes, I understand, Chief."

"I know this is going to amplify the already dangerous level of your ego," he said.

"I appreciate the humbling compliment, sir," Nick sighed.

"Relax, Officer Wilde, I'd expect a former street hustler to recognize a joke when he sees one," Bogo chuckled, which earned a giggle from Judy.

Nick's smile struggled to return, but came back a zombie, a poor facsimile of one. "Well, I really do appreciate it, Chief."

Judy spoke up. "Sir, if you don't mind me asking, what are you going to do with Marty?"

Bogo sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose with his hoof. "Honestly, Officer Hopps, with this damning level of evidence, we'll have no choice but to bring him in for questioning. I got the impression, as I'm sure you both did, that he wasn't fully in earnest about this whole operation, so my hope is that he may be willing to feed us information on his cousin and their gang in exchange for reduced punishment. I wouldn't worry about that, though; that's going to be left to Internal Affairs."

Another silence wafted across the room like a dense fog. Judy looked distressed at the mention of punishment, and Nick simply stared at the ground.

Bogo sighed. "I understand how you're both feeling," he said, taking off his glasses. "This isn't the first time we've had to investigate the force for officers complicit in illegal activity. It… stings, each and every time." Nick and Judy both looked at him with anticipation. "But, it's just another reason why we need good cops such as yourselves, not just to watch over the citizens, but to watch over your fellow officers, as well. You've both done excellent work."

Judy's heart soared and she saluted Bogo. "Thank you sir, we're happy to help."

"And not to downplay Officer Hopps' contributions to this case, but especially good work from you, Officer Wilde," he said, nodding his head at Nick, who just sat mildly dumbstruck. "When I assigned this case, I certainly wasn't expecting a resolution in a few days. I know the suits down at IA will appreciate the tenacity of your investigation."

Nick tried to smile, but the corners of his mouth didn't want to go up. _Something isn't right,_ he thought. _Bogo's actually praising me. I should feel amazing._

"I wouldn't worry too much about the case from here on," Bogo said. "We won't know anything until we can speak with Officer Tuskington, anyway. Any sort of sting operation will most likely be performed by SWAT. In any case, excellent work, you two. You're dismissed." He waved them off with a hoof and picked up his glasses, carefully balancing them on the bridge of his snout.

"Er, sir?" Judy piped up. "What is our assignment for the rest of the day?"

Bogo blinked. "I'm not sure I understand, Hopps," he said.

Judy shrugged. "Well, all we had been assigned was this case, and we've finished our investigation," she said. "What are our orders now?"

Bogo looked away from the pair with a furrowed brow. "You know, Hopps, I hadn't really thought of that," he said, leaning back in his chair. After a few moments, he clapped his hooves together loudly. "You know, I've got just the thing for you two," he said with a grin.

* * *

"Parking duty," Judy grumbled to her partner. "He put us on parking duty, after what an amazing job we did on that investigation! The nerve of him!" The pair were wearing matching orange vests, and they each wielded their own ticket punching machine. "We risk our necks to try to root out a mole in the force, and this is how we're thanked. Well, I'll show him, I'll have 300 tickets by the day's end, that'll teach him!"

Judy bounded from car to car, leaving Nick quite literally in the dust. His stomach felt empty, but he wasn't hungry at all. Bogo had heaped more praise on him than he ever had before, and Judy was obviously proud of him for the work he did on the case. _Why am I not happy? I've earned the right, for the first time in a long time, to be smug to everyone around me._

He trudged over to a white sedan, noticing the meter it was parked in front of was ten minutes late. His ticket machine was acting slow today, which normally would have bugged him, but he didn't mind. The numbers were punched in slowly, but not deliberately; Nick wasn't even sure if he'd entered the information correctly. _Eh, people skip out on this crap all the time,_ he thought. The ticket was just placed under the windshield wiper when the car's owner, a strangely tall otter, came running over. "Aw, c'mon, I was only like five minutes late!" he pleaded.

"It was ten minutes, sir, and you can challenge or pay your citation at the city's traffic court," Nick sighed.

The otter harrumphed. "You know, my tax dollars are what pay your salary," he grumbled, snatching the ticket away from the wiper and stuffing it in his pocket.

"Yes, and we're all very grateful for your contribution," Nick replied, walking back toward his little parking cruiser. He could overhear the otter tossing a few curse words his way under his breath, but he ignored it. Spying Judy out of the corner of his eye, he took a few moments to watch her happily hop from car to car, checking for even the most insignificant late meter. A tiny smile spread across his muzzle. _See, why can't you just be more like her,_ he thought. _Always so optimistic and happy for others. God, the way she smiled when Bogo was telling me I'd done good work was almost too much to bear._ His gaze lingered for a few moments too long, and Judy caught him looking at her. Her nose twitched, and she felt her ears get hot again. Still, she wasn't going to let him get the better of her.

"You know, you're never gonna keep up with me if you keep taking breaks!" she called out to him from across the street. "C'mon, I bet I can double your total by the end of the day. Loser buys dinner!"

His grin spread even wider, and even though he realized he was smiling like an idiot in public, he didn't feel any urge to change the situation. _Loser buys dinner, huh,_ he thought. Their texts from the night before replayed themselves on a loop, and Finnick's words echoed in his mind. _I know you wanna tell her, and you're gonna keep bein' pathetic until you do._

Nick stood up out of the miniature cruiser and loosened his tie, determination beginning to swell in his chest. Mini-Finnick popped up once more on his shoulder. His eyes looked to be asking a question, though Nick wasn't sure what.

 _You know what, screw the consequences._ He took off down the street, looking for cars with expired meters to ticket. He didn't run too fast, though. After all, he had a competition to lose. He glanced over to his shoulder to see if Mini-Finnick had anything to add, but when he looked, he was gone.


	9. Chapter 9

**(Author's Note: So, here we are. First things first, I have to apologize to everyone who enjoyed my story so much that this last chapter is coming so late. I wish I had a good excuse, but I don't. While it's true that work picked up and family trips and illness happened, I could have had this story done. For a few months there, it became harder and harder to type words down for the story; I'd lost the drive to finish it. It loomed over my head every day, and yet I was completely devoid of the will to get it finished, for both myself and the many that liked it. Needless to say, I eventually got my head out of my butt, and I just hope that the chapter isn't too late. Second, I'm not completely closing the door on some sort of epilogue at a later date, but when I envisioned the story, this was how I wanted it to end. If I do write anything as a P.S. to this piece, it will be something extra, like a post-credits scene in a movie. Third, I have to give mad shoutouts to Bread-Kun for encouraging me to get this damn thing finished, and to Rennaku, Shipping Mammals, and KohGeek for editing this last, enormous chapter to make it the best it could be. Last, I'm very proud of this story and what I've been able to accomplish, but a word of warning to aspiring authors: stick to a schedule. The first week I deviated from my writing schedule was the beginning of me losing interest in writing. Even when it gets hard, the best writers still write. In the words of Darkest Dungeon, overconfidence is a slow, and insidious killer. Stick to a schedule - you'll be happy that you did. Overwrought apologies and lecturing out of the way, enjoy the chapter :D)**

* * *

"You know, I don't think I've ever beaten you that badly," Judy teased, skipping her way back to their parking duty cart. Nick always thought it looked more like a pompous golf cart, but Judy maintained that it was a proud member of the ZPD vehicle fleet. Her assurances did little to assuage how silly he felt riding shotgun, though.

"What can I say, Fluff, guess I was having an off day," he replied, shrugging his shoulders. The sun was beginning to dip below the taller skyscrapers in Savanna Central, casting a pale yellow glow around them.

"Oh, it was an off day, alright," she said. "You looked like you were falling asleep out there! I must have at least doubled your tickets."

Nick rolled his eyes. "Carrots, you know quotas are illegal, right? You take a little too much pride in sending mammals to traffic court," he chuckled.

"Hey, I'm not trying to reach a quota, I'm just…" she paused, searching for the right word.

"Insane?" Nick offered.

"Efficient!"

That earned a smirk from her partner. "Sure, efficient, let's go with that," he said.

Judy looked up at him, her eyes narrowed. "You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you weren't even trying back there," she said. The pair stepped inside their cart; Nick always had to duck his head to make sure he didn't bump it against the roof. "You weren't just letting me win, were you?"

Nick sat straight up after hearing her accusation, momentarily forgetting about the height of the cart. His head banged off the thin aluminum roof, which drew several mumbled curses out of his muzzle.

"What? No, you beat me fair and square, Fluff. It's not my fault not even the most stupendous fox cop around can keep up with the fastest meter maid in the city," Nick said, struggling to maintain his composure under her withering stare. _I bet Bogo in his prime wasn't as intimidating as her,_ he thought, massaging his ears from the impact with the ceiling.

"So, you're saying you definitely put in your best effort? Because if I find out you went easy on me-"

"Carrots, c'mon, you think I would do that to you?" he interrupted. "I tried to keep up, but gosh darnit, you just ran laps around me."

Inwardly, he hated lying to Judy, and he did try that afternoon. Somewhat, anyway. _C'mon, Jude, just drop it and let me take you to dinner,_ he thought.

Judy glared at him for a few more moments while sirens went off in Nick's head.

"Well, I guess you did get some tickets, at least," she said, her stare steadily becoming less accusatory. "Best meter maid in the city, huh? I guess flattery does work on me."

Nick exhaled and settled back into his seat in a vain attempt to get comfortable. "Yeah, you got me good, Carrots. Guess dinner is on me, then."

Judy's ears drooped a bit. "Aw, Nick, I was mostly kidding when I said that," she replied. "You don't need to spend any money on me. We both know neither of us makes a lot."

For the second time in half a minute, Nick saw his master plan failing to take off and exploding on the runway. His mind raced, trying to recover from the most recent curveball Judy lobbed his way. _Who knew trying to take a bunny out to dinner was this hard?_

"C'mon, I don't mind. A deal is a deal. We made an agreement, now I gotta pay up," he said. His words were coming out as he thought of them; he could barely think straight at the prospect of taking Judy to dinner. While he was trying to convince Judy, he grumbled at himself in his head. He'd eaten dinner with her dozens of times. Why should this one be any different? "Don't make me go back on my honor as a former hustler, Fluff."

That last sentence earned a giggle out of Judy as they puttered along back to the station. "Honor as a former hustler, huh? And just what sort of honor is entailed in that?" she asked.

"Carrots, once again, you have wounded me," he replied, a paw dramatically clutching at his heart. "Every hustler and con man lives by a code of ethics. 'If you make a deal, you honor the deal.' It was our bread and butter."

"Wait, who's bread and butter?"

"Duh, me and Finnick's."

"It's Finnick and I, Nick," she replied, wagging a finger.

Nick huffed. "Oh, what, you're the grammar police now, too?"

She gave him a smug grin, taking her eyes of the road for a second. "Top marks in school, what can I say," she replied. "Judy Hopps, amazing at everything."

"Hah, and I thought I had a big ego," he chuckled, shaking his head. "You're sounding more and more like me every day. Also, keep your eyes on the road, Fluff. I'll have you know we're going approximately-" he craned his neck to look at the speedometer. "A whopping 6 miles per hour right now."

She lightly ribbed him on the shoulder. "Hey, you don't even have your seatbelt on. I might have to write you up for that, so don't lecture me on safety," she replied, the sass in her voice unmistakeable. "Besides, are you complaining that you're rubbing off on me?"

Nick put both paws behind his head and tried to kick up his feet. His knees bent at nearly a 90 degree angle, but he was invested in trying to look cool at that point, so he kept with it. "Well, no, though if you keep it up, we'll end up being the cheekiest duo on the force. I doubt Fangmeyer and Wolford could keep up with our sass."

Judy rolled her eyes at his display. "I'm pretty sure we already are, considering all the gray fur we've put on Bogo since we started," she giggled. "Well, if you're determined to pay for dinner, where do you want to go? If you're paying, you should at least pick."

"Where was this charitable attitude when you picked that god-awful car for the stake-out?" Nick asked.

"Hey, I trust your selection of restaurants, not your taste in cars," she replied. "Like that hunk of junk you had wanted for the stake out."

Nick pouted. "I'll have you know it was a vintage, '69 El Cowmino, it's a classic!"

"I wasn't aware 'classic' meant 'rust-bucket,'" Judy teased.

"Well, I wouldn't expect someone who grew up on farm equipment to have good taste in automobiles," Nick sniffed. "As for a restaurant…" he stopped, pondering a moment. His ears flicked as he thought. "How about that one you and Cam went to last night? You said I'd like it, remember?"

Judy's breath caught in her throat, recalling the numerous deleted texts she'd wanted to send to Nick that night. All the confusion and uncertainty came rushing back, and she found herself fumbling for words.

"O-oh, right? Yeah, that place seemed like just, uh, your type," she replied quickly. She fought in silence against her tail's desire to twitch, hoping Nick didn't pick up on how distracted the question made her.

Nick cocked an eyebrow at his partner, but decided not to pursue it. "As long as you don't mind going to the same place two days in a row, I'm fine with that," he replied.

Judy quietly took a deep breath to relax. _C'mon, you can't keep getting all worked up over that! We're just going to have a nice dinner together, completely platonic, and you're not going to flirt with your work partner._

Her subconscious either knew it was a lie or wanted it to be; she couldn't tell which. Before she could speak up again, though, "Try Everything" buzzed from her pants pocket. She inwardly groaned at the irony of the song contrasted with the current argument she was having with herself.

"Fluff, I can't believe you've still got that as your ringtone," Nick said. "That song is, like, eight months old. Get with the times."

Judy resisted the urge to stick her tongue out at him. "First of all, it's from a concert we went to together, second, it's really catchy, and third, shut up," she rattled off, trying to work the phone out of the tight confines of her pocket.

"Wait, what was that about it being from our first concert?" Nick asked, immediately more interested in their conversation.

Judy shushed him and brought her phone up to her ear. "Hello, Cam? How are you doing?" she asked.

Nick's mood slumped almost as swiftly as it had risen. He tried not to feel a sense of loathing toward the hare, but lingering jealousy stood impudently in his path. _Ugh, envy is not a good color on me,_ he thought. _Clashes with my fur._

"Oh, that's great, Cam!" Judy exclaimed. "Yeah, I'll have to fill you in on the details about the case tomorrow. Well, I hope you're ready for the date, I'm sure you'll have a great time. Talk to you soon, bye-bye."

Inside Nick's chest, he swore he could feel his heart sink through his body, through the floor of the cart, and onto the ground. Wait, date? He's going on a date? With Ca- Judy? His ears flopped down, and the rest of his insides felt like they were joining his heart on the ground behind him, sinking lower and lower.

He tried to summon Mini-Finnick, but he was nowhere to be found. Real Finnick's words fell silent inside his head, as well. A stillness wafted around him, and the air in his lungs felt thick.

Judy slid her phone back into her pocket and looked over at him. Upon seeing the distress spreading across his muzzle, her smile vanished, and was instantly replaced with concern. "Nick, what's wrong? Is everything okay?" she asked, her nose quivering just enough that Nick could notice.

He willed himself to look back at her. The veracity of her gaze pierced through him. As he stared at her twitching nose and lavender eyes with brows slightly turned upwards, his chest rumbled and his gut came slowly crawling back. Not a single mammal that he could remember, except his mother, had ever looked at him with concern like that. The warmth in his chest told him this was very different from Vivian Wilde wondering how late he'd be out. He briefly thought back to every time Judy had smiled at him, or rolled her eyes at his impression of Bogo. The minute details of her face, like how he could swear her right ear was taller than the left, or how the lavender of her eyes almost changed to an indigo when they were on night patrol, burned themselves into his head like an old TV screen. The thought of Cam and a date faded out of his mind as the furnace inside him slowly warmed back up.

"You know what, Carrots? Yeah, everything's fine," he said, confidence inching back into his voice. "After all, I'm the most amazing fox cop in the city with a great partner to make up for my lack of ticket-giving agility, what could possibly get me down?"

"But I thought you just…" Judy began. "Oh, ha-ha, teasing your partner into getting worried. What am I going to do with you?"

Nick raised an eyebrow. "Hmm, how about let me pay for dinner tonight?" he asked. _Screw it, if she's got a date planned with that rabbit, then I'll just have to make it an even more amazing dinner with me,_ he thought. _No way am I letting him show Carrots a better time than me. She's gonna be in love with me by the time this night is through._

He wasn't sure whether the sudden surge of swagger was warranted or not, but it felt good. Really good, like something had been lost for ages and found its way back home. He also wasn't sure where the word 'love' had come from, but he couldn't muster the anxiety to argue against it.

"Hmm, well, if you absolutely insist on spending money on me, I guess I'll have to oblige you on it," Judy said with a giggle.

"I wonder if you can _abide_ by a gentleman fox paying for everything this time, or if you'll pick up the tip," Nick replied. A paw lazily floated over to one of Judy's ears, tapping it back and forth lightly.

Judy tried to bat his paw away. "Hey, Nick! We have talked about this!" she groaned, struggling to maintain focus between driving and the losing battle of her paw against his. "No touching the ears! It's right up there with calling a rabbit cute. Besides, I'm trying to drive here!"

Nick's paw deftly danced around hers, evading her grasp while continuing to prod her ear. "Fluff, need I remind you we're still going like 6 miles per hour? So, forgive me if I'm not overly concerned about the peril that we're curren-" he said, before being cut off by his muzzle bouncing off one of the rods that held the roof up. Judy had slammed on the brakes, sending him forward at approximately the same 6 miles per hour. He rubbed at his nose and scowled at Judy, who stared back at him with the most frustratingly adorable winning grin he'd ever seen. "Sorry, Nick, didn't catch that. You were saying?"

"That was quite rude, Carrots," he replied, still rubbing at his snout. "Is that how you do things out in the country? How uncouth of you."

Judy put her foot down on the gas, and the cart gently lurched forward once more with all the speed and fury of Flash watching infomercials. "Hey, I reminded you about the seat belts, so don't come whining to me when I have to make a sudden stop," she said.

"Sudden stop, huh? And what was so urgent that it necessitated a sudden stop?"

"A very smug fox wouldn't stop playing with my ears and teasing me, and it was the most immediate and effective way to get him to quit being such an ass."

"That," he began, pointing a clawed finger at her, "is an accurate assessment of the situation. Good spatial awareness, Officer Hopps," he concluded, putting a fist up in the air next to her.

She rolled her eyes and fist bumped him back. "Oh, and don't think I didn't catch that jab about me picking up the tip. You're really trying to get me not to go to dinner with you, aren't you?"

The fun and games Nick was having went up in smoke, and he found himself stumbling over himself to backtrack. "W-what? No, c'mon, Fluff, I was just teasing, I didn't mean anything by it," he said. "You, uh, beat me fair and square, and you said the restaurant was good, and you know I hate going out to eat alone, you don't ha-"

He was interrupted by Judy's laughter. "Woah, slow down Nick, I was only messing with you," she choked out. "You must really want to go to dinner with me, huh?"

Nick's eyes narrowed, and his cheeks felt hot with embarrassment. "I just, uh…" he began. "Really wanna check out the restaurant you so highly recommended." His ears sank lower with each word, and he hoped it didn't come out as weak as it sounded in his head.

"Right, whatever you say, Nick," Judy said with a smirk. _Well, looks like it was even weaker out loud,_ he thought, resisting the urge to smack his forehead with a paw.

Finally, the pair pulled up on the precinct parking lot, where Judy crept their cart into its miniscule spot next to McHorn's cruiser. The car towered over them, basking the two in complete shadow as Judy turned off the electric motor. "Well, now that we're finished playing 'embarrass the fox,' why don't we get changed and head out," Nick said. "Because all games aside, I'm starving after hours out in the sun."

"Hours out in the sun?" Judy retorted. "After how many more tickets I handed out than you, if anyone has any right to be starving here, it's me."

"What, we're getting competitive over who is more hungry now?" he asked. "Is our whole working relationship just one big competition to you?"  
She giggled. "Not much of a competition when I keep winning, is it?"

He tried to frown, but he couldn't keep a warm grin from spreading across his face. "I suppose you're just conveniently forgetting who managed to bust that mole in the force, huh, Fluff? That's right, it was the one and only-"

"Finnick. Finnick is who busted it open," Judy replied, interrupting him.

Judy flipped the keys to Roberto, the portly beaver attendant, before Nick could respond. Roberto caught them without looking up from his magazine. "Good day costing the taxpayers a fortune, Officer Hopps?" he asked as he turned a page.

"They wouldn't have to pay anything if they watched their meters more carefully, Roberto, you know that," she responded without missing a beat.

Nick and Judy were about to walk away when Nick spoke up. "Yo, Roberto, you gonna be here much longer?" he asked.

Roberto glanced at a gold watch on his wrist; it shone brightly into Nick's eyes in the dimming sun. "Yeah, 'bout another half hour or so, why?"

Judy looked at her partner. "Nick, what are you thinking?"

He showed off a few fangs in a smirk. "Any chance we could nab one of the impounded cars for a trip out tonight? We'll have it back in tip top shape, fox's honor," he asked, placing a paw over his heart.

"Hah, fox's honor, that's a new one," Roberto said. "Well, I don't know, my pockets have been feelin' a little light as of late. You know I can't guarantee anything, though. I ain't got the keys for every car here, only the stuff that's been seized by the city. The impounded stuff's just been towed here. Might end up costin' you a bit extra, you know?"

Judy gawked between them. "Are you two serious? Are you actually haggling over a bribe? On police property?"

Nick patted her on the head between the ears, which only seemed to infuriate her further, much to his delight. "Don't worry, Carrots, besides, they don't pay Roberto enough, right, Roberto?"

"Definitely not enough," he replied, eyes still glued to his magazine. "Though twenty-five bucks should start to help me out."

"Ooh, twenty-five? Just for sitting out here and reading?" Nick asked, stepping closer to the window. Rows of keys hung on a board behind Roberto. "Why, anyone could just sneak in here, snatch away a pair of keys, and be gone before you know it! Ten bucks."

Roberto flipped his magazine down and narrowed his eyes at Nick. "Twenty bucks."

"Eighteen and we get to pick the car," he shot back.

"Eighteen and you get to pick but I get to veto."

"One veto."

"Deal," Roberto said, sticking out a paw. Nick took it and shook it warmly. Judy simply stared open-mouthed at both of them. "I can't believe what I just witnessed," she said.

"Eh, don't worry about it Carrots, this is just friends helping each other out," Nick replied. He pulled some bills out of his wallet and slipped it to the beaver. "And trust me, considering how badly he lost at poker the other week, Roberto needs all the help he can get. Say, you got change for a twenty?"

"Hey, at least I don't cheat and continue stereotypes about my species," he said, pocketing the money. "And no, I don't. Too bad, though."

Nick rolled his eyes and put his wallet away. "Yeah, far be it to continue the stereotype of beavers as hard workers, couldn't have that," he laughed. Although Judy was still incensed with the pair, she couldn't help but giggle at his joke.

"Careful there, or you're gonna make it two vetoes," he relied, turning back to his magazine.

"You're lucky I don't make it zero vetoes considering you just got an extra two bucks," Nick said, waving him off with a paw. He wasn't sure if Roberto even saw his gesture considering his eyes were glued to a new issue of _Efficient Dams Monthly,_ but he figured it was the thought that counts.

"C'mon, Fluff, let's go get changed and grab us some new wheels for the night," he said, walking back to the precinct. She stared one more time back at Roberto, still mildly in shock at how casually they discussed breaking protocol, before running after Nick.

Now that she thought about it, though, Nick's mention of the heat made her realize just how gross she felt in her uniform. _We'll deal with the ramifications of bribery in a bit,_ she thought. _First, I gotta get into something that doesn't stink like parking duty._

The pair exchanged few words, silently agreeing that new clothes were in order before any more discussion was to be had. Clawhauser was packing up for the day when he noticed them and waved them over. Nick lifted up an arm, gestured to his armpit, and held his nose. Judy giggled while Clawhauser rolled his eyes and went back to his phone. Within minutes, Judy grabbed some folded jeans and one of her favorite light blue button-downs from her locker. As ceremoniously as possible, she then placed her uniform into a duffel bag. "Don't worry, you'll be at the dry cleaners soon," she said to the bag. Francine extended her head past the lockers a few rows down. "You, uh, talk to your uniform a lot, Hopps?" she asked.

"Only when I'm nervous," she replied, a little more honest than she'd meant to be.

"Nervous? About what?"

"I've, uh, got a date? I guess? Well, I'm not sure if it's a date. At the very least, I'm going to dinner. With a guy." Judy tripped over her words, unsure if she even believed herself.

Francine, though, couldn't mask her excitement, and ran out toward Judy. The extra large towel around her body barely kept her modest while she footsteps thundered off the tile floors. "Ooh, girl, you're finally gonna get yourself a man! About time, too. Ever since you started working here, all we talk about is work. Gets a little old, honestly."

"First of all, thanks, appreciate that," Judy deadpanned. "Second, like I said, I don't even know if this is a date. I'd rather play it casual, I think."

"Lemme ask you something," Francine began. "He ask you out?"

"Uh, in a manner of speaking, I guess he di-"

"And you like this guy?"

Judy paused at that question. She wanted to say yes, but a embarrassing compulsion inside her told her to say no, like she was back on the elementary school playground being asked about a crush. "I, uh, well-"

"That's a yes," Francine interrupted.

"Hey! Don't I get a say in this?" she asked. She pulled the jeans over her legs and got to buttoning her shirt.

"You already had a say, and it's pretty loud and clear to me, at least from where I'm standing," she replied. "Well, he asked you out, and you pretty much love him from what I can see, so yeah, it's a date." She walked back over to her locker and resumed changing.

If Judy looked in the mirror, she might have mistaken herself for a beet from Dave Whiskerton's farm back in Bunnyburrow at the mention of love. "N-now just hold on a minute," she began, her foot tapping rapidly against the floor.

"Relax, girl, I'm only teasing you," Francine called out from behind the row of lockers. Within seconds, she walked out fully dressed.

"You know, I'll never understand how you get dressed so quickly," Judy said.

"Elephant secret," she replied. They pair walked out of the locker room together. "So, who's the lucky guy to nab our very own Judy Hopps?"

Once through the door, they saw Nick waiting for them by the water fountain in his usual green Hawaiian shirt and khaki slacks combo. He walked toward them. "So, Fluff, ready to go?" he asked.

Judy craned her neck to look up at Francine, whose face was plastered with the elation that comes with learning a secret you're not supposed to know. Judy resisted the urge to smack Nick upside the head as embarrassment washed over her.

"Well, Judy, I'll just leave you to it. Hope you two have fun!" Francine said as she walked away. "Remember what I told you, Jude!"

Nick stared at Judy. "Since when does Tusks call you Jude?"

"Since just this moment, I guess," Judy replied. She gritted her teeth; Francine wasn't gonna let her hear the end of this for weeks.

Nick shrugged. "Well, ready to go pick out our ride?" he asked, gesturing a paw toward the main foyer.

"Er, I… yeah, let's go," she replied.

As they walked, Nick's eyes wandered more than once over to his partner. He'd seen her out of uniform dozens of times, but seeing her next to him on their way out to dinner showed her in a different light.

"You look nice, by the way," Nick said, doing his best to make the compliment sound off-hand.

After her run-in with Francine, Judy was compelled to get the edge up on someone like the elephant had with her.

"Nice, huh? That's the best a smooth-talking former hustler has to offer?" she said. She hadn't taken as much joy in keeping Nick on his toes as she had in the last few days. _I've never really been able to make him squirm before,_ she thought. _Kinda nice._

Nick gulped. "Well, I mean," he began. "You do look really great! I just didn't want to, uh, come off too strong?"

Judy stifled a laugh. "Relax, Nick, I'm just messing with you," she said. "Again."

Nick rubbed the back of his neck and laughed with her. Inwardly, though, his brain was tripping over itself like he was a newborn kit trying to walk for the first time.

As they walked out into the main lobby, they saw Francine leaning on the desk talking quietly with Clawhauser. The could not see much of the cheetah as he was mostly blocked by the elephant's bulk, but as his face came into view, it was obviously something exciting.

 _Please don't be talking about us, please don't be talking about us, please don't be talking about us,_ Judy silently wished.

Clawhauser's caught a glimpse of Judy and Nick, and tried to avoid eye contact. His cheeks were puffed up from suppressing laughter. Francine turned to look too, trying to get her big elephantine eyes to look as innocent as possible. Judy suppressed a groan; her wish was clearly going unanswered.

Clawhauser brought his paws up to his face; ears splayed out and eyes wide. Francine gave a little snort through her trunk as she forced down a giggle.

Nick's ears flicked in the direction of the noise, and he started to turn his head to its source.

"So!" Judy said, loud enough to startle Nick. "what kind of car are we going to get?"

Her gambit worked. Nick turned his head back to Judy and away from possible Clawhauser squeals.

"Huh? Oh, uh, you got any ideas?" he asked as they turned, head towards to hall that would take them to the impound and sized asset lot on the backside of the building. Judy relaxed, Clawhauser and Francine now more behind them. _There will be plenty of time in the morning to deal with gossip,_ she thought. Her stoicism in the face of office gossip belayed her nervousness at the prospect of Clawhauser blabbing to everyone about her and Nick going to dinner. While she steadily steeled herself to face Francine's knowing grin in the morning, Nick was still focused on finding the coolest set of wheels.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I had something in mind already," he said, eyes growing large. "I was thinking a really great-"

"1969 El Cowmino, yes, I know," Judy rolled her eyes. "I doubt they have such a specific make and model, Nick," she replied. "Besides, if I'm going to dinner, it's not gonna be in a hunk of junk like that."

"Carrots, your words are like warm knives into the butter of my soul," he said, falling to his knees in a show of melodrama. "Besides, I was gonna say '72. Better interior design that year."

"Nick, I'm not making fun of you, I'm making fun of a car," she countered.

"Insulting a man's favorite car is as good as insulting his character," he scoffed, standing back up with overwrought dignity. "Besides, you still haven't answered the question."

The two passed Roberto, who barely acknowledged them. Row after row of cars, from muscle-bound machines of torque and rubber, to clunky rust buckets well past their prime, lay out before them. With each step, Judy's confidence in getting a car was beginning to stumble at the finish line. Her gait had slowed, and Nick had continued past her. She wrung her paws together before speeding up to catch him. "Uh, Nick, I'm not so sure about this," she said. "Isn't this kind of… unethical? I don't mind taking a cab, really, if that's what this is all about."

Nick abruptly stopped and turned to face her. After the way she'd gotten him earlier, he wanted to seize back control in the game he was sure they were playing. "Carrots, you're not telling me you're scared, are you?" he asked. "After all the rule-breaking we've done in the line of duty, this is where you draw the line?"

Her determination was faltering in the face of such bravado from him. "N-no, I'm not scared, give me a little credit," she replied. The conviction she'd hoped would show up in her voice never did. "It's just, I mean, I wouldn't want anything to spoil the meal, and getting busted for something like this would definitely put a damper on things."

Nick bent down to get face to face with her. He swore he could see a light blush forming on her cheeks under her fur as he teased her further. "What's the matter Carrots, a little worried to take a walk on the wild side?" he asked. He let himself momentarily revel in his position as a predator as his stare intensified. He grinned, his canines glinting in the light from the setting sun.

Judy had felt in control during the whole drive back to the precinct and after they'd changed, but she found herself suddenly helpless with Nick's teeth so close. However, the quivering fear that hammered away in her chest didn't tell her to run. There wasn't any anxiety or trepidation in her fear, and the more she thought about it, fear wasn't even the right word. Her instinct was being beaten back by something else that grew stronger the closer Nick's fangs got to her. She felt a smile spread across her muzzle in spite of herself, and the resolve to match his thrill only bolstered her further.

"Wild side, huh? I thought you hated puns," she replied slowly. Her pupils widened at the prospect of intentionally breaking a few rules to have some fun, and a strange compulsion to prove Nick wrong came over her. "You know what, Nick? The wild side doesn't sound so bad. Let's go grab us a car."

Nick gawked at her; he hadn't anticipated Judy actually running with his idea. He'd planned to rib her about being so goody-goody on the way to the restaurant, though he couldn't recall a time when he was happier that a plan had fallen apart.

"Oh, really? I gotta hand it to you, Fluff, you can be pretty cool once in awhile," he said.

Judy snickered. "I'm cool now, huh? Well, if you can go back in time to high school and let everyone else know, that would be great," she replied.

"I can just picture you know, Hall Monitor Judy Hopps, coolest mammal in school," he said. "Did you have to wear an orange vest? Please tell me you wore an orange vest."

The pair continued to walk down the aisle of cars, not paying them much mind as they talked. In the back of her mind, Judy thought they'd definitely passed at least two different cars that Nick would love, but he didn't seem interested in looking away from her.

"...so in short, initially I didn't have to wear a vest, but I demanded that I wear one because I thought it would increase visibility and safety," she said, recounting the memory.

Nick's stomach was getting sore from holding back his laughter, though he managed to get through it. "See, Carrots? I knew you were too cool for school back then. Nothing is more hip than safety and reflective tape," he replied.

Judy giggled. Although she normally cringed when talking about her time in high school, Nick's resigned amusement with it all left her more at ease. She was about to ask him about his own high school experiences when she spotted it. A gorgeous, simple, ruby-red roadster, just the perfect size for a fox and rabbit, sat at the end of the row, seemingly untouched by the grime around it. She dashed over, leaving Nick standing there staring at her with his usual frustrating bemused grin.

"See something you like, Fluff?" he called out, walking over to her. She was practically dancing around the car, carefully eyeing the plush interior. "I didn't know you had a type when it came to cars."

"I, uh, usually don't," she said, finding herself sheepish upon realizing the extent of her dancing. "But I make an exception for convertibles like this."

Nick raised an eyebrow. "Not gonna lie, I never pictured you as a convertible girl," he said. "Figured you didn't prefer any car besides a standard issue police cruiser."

"Well, my mom always joked about wanting a car like this when I was younger," she replied. Her eyes never left the car, drinking in every detail. "She'd tease my dad about how she was gonna run away with their savings and go get the fanciest top-down sports car she could find."

Nick glided a paw down the lines of the roadster. He had to admit, it was a bit more feminine than what he preferred, but it definitely wasn't a bad choice. "Hah, I bet he loved that," he said.

"I think initially it nearly gave him palpitations, though he asked me a few months ago if I knew of any good dealerships here in Zootopia. I'm pretty sure he wants to surprise her for her 50th," she said. "I know she was always kidding when she talked about running off and buying a convertible, so I think she's gonna be really surprised."

Nick paused for longer than he meant to as Judy talked about her parents. He turned away to look at the other cars in the impound lot.

"Nick, you alright?" she asked, cocking her head ever so slightly to the side. He wasn't sure if that she consciously did that, but it made the corners of his mouth curl up every time she did.

"Yeah, Carrots, I'm good," he replied. "That sounds like a great idea for your mom, by the way."

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I think she'll flip," she laughed. A silence settled between them, and Judy couldn't tell if it was a comfortable one or not. "So, uh…" she began.

Nick rolled his eyes. "You want to know if we can take this car, don't you?"

Judy clasped her paws together in front of her. "Please? I've never driven something this cool, and if we're gonna be bad and bribe the lot attendant, I at least wanna get behind the wheel of something I know I'll never own," she pleaded. Nick couldn't help but notice that her lower lip trembled a bit. He wasn't sure if it was pitiful or cute. _Eh, I suppose it can be both at the same time,_ he thought.

"Hmm, well, you did beat me fair and square by about 50 tickets this afternoon," he said, slowly scratching his chin with a claw. "I guess with that kind of performance, you've warranted picking the car. But don't get too upset if Roberto doesn't have the keys for this one."

"Heh, first of all, it was by about 100 tickets," Judy gloated, much to Nick's consternation. "And second of all, thankyouthankyouthankyou-"

Judy practically bounded over to him and wrapped him up in a tight hug. Her exuberance nearly threw him off balance, and the sudden proximity of head resting against his chest had him gasping for breath, although that might have been her arms trying to seemingly crush the life out of him.

Just as soon as her embrace started, it ended. She pulled away and turned back to the car, resuming her admiration. Nick was left nearly panting. He tried to come up with something smarmy to say, like telling her he wasn't aware rabbits could attack like that, but the words simply refused to come out of his mouth.

"C'mon, let's see if Roberto can let us have this one," Judy said, tearing her eyes off her scarlet beauty long enough to start walking toward the attendant booth. Her words pulled Nick back into the realm of the living, and he nodded dumbly, following close behind her.

Judy had shown affection to him before, but that hug felt different to him, like there was something more there. _Before, she would have just punched me on the arm or something,_ he thought. _Oh gods, am I overthinking this? There's no way Nick Wilde, master conman, is overthinking a hug._

He knew that was a lie, though, as his mind waged war back and forth during the walk back to Roberto. Although he hadn't counted the steps, he could swear it was taking longer to return to the beaver.

"Hey, Roberto!" she called out, signalling to him. "The red convertible over here looks great!"

Roberto threw her a thumbs-up, and rummaged around the board of keys behind him. Judy and Nick approached the window and waited. The sound of metal jangling followed by the muffled tap of a rabbit foot against the asphalt filled the air as Roberto searched. After almost a minute, he turned around and flipped a set of keys to Judy. She caught them without missing a beat.

"You're in luck, officer. The particular owner of that one loved that old gambling den in the Rainforest District just a bit too much; the car's going up for auction in a week. Now, of course I don't have to tell you that if anything happens to the car, I'll deny having ever spoken to you, right?" he asked. "After all, faking the CCTV footage ain't hard." The humid late afternoon air hung heavily between them. Nick wasn't sure when he'd become so warm, but he was looking forward to the breeze of driving around with the top down.

Judy looked at Nick for confirmation as the gravity of what he'd said momentarily pulled her down from her high. "Yes, we both understand," Nick said, placing a paw on her shoulder.  
"Good, have it back late tonight. No later than 5 a.m.," Roberto said before settling back in with his magazine.

Nick said nothing, and started walking back toward the car. Judy quickly hopped back to his side, her paws wringing around the key from Roberto.

"What's the matter, Fluff?" he asked. "Little nervous now that it's real?"

"Well, no," she began. Her ears seems to be on a swivel, flicking in a new direction at the slightest hint of a noise. "Ugh, a little, I guess. I mean, what if we get into a wreck or something?"

"With you behind the wheel, it's almost a certainty," Nick replied. He was almost eagerly anticipating a smack from his partner, but was instead met with a giggle. It rang in his ears, almost too girlish to have come from Judy.

"Whatever, but you'll be laughing when we're cruising down the street in style with me in control," she said, skipping ahead of him toward the car. He stopped and stared at her for a moment. A lingering soreness had spread across his arm, as though it was upset at the prospect of going un-punched. He didn't linger, speeding up to catch her before she made it to the convertible.

"Oh, shoot," Nick said, staring at the clutch in the car. "I didn't realize this model's a manual transmission. You ever driven one before?"

Judy hopped over the door, plopping neatly into the driver's seat. "Nick, I grew up on a farm," she replied. "They don't make automatic farm equipment. Well, at least not back then, anyway."

Nick opened the passenger door and slid inside, making himself comfortable in the plush seats. "Ugh, please don't say 'back then' as though ten years ago is somehow a long time," he chuckled.

"For the last time, Nick, you have no business getting self-conscious over 'being old,'" she replied, dramatically adding finger quotes to the last two words. "You're only, like, eight years older than me."

"Ah, but you're not counting in fox years," he said. "Once a fox hits about 27, they begin rapidly aging at the rate of nearly a decade every year. I might as well be geriatric at this point."

She snorted with laughter. "Oh, but you're forgetting bunny years," she said. She was about to turn the ignition, but the need to one-up her partner trumped her desire to hear the engine purr. "Any bunny, but especially girl bunnies, are functionally babies until they're in their late twenties. Before then, they might as well still be in diapers, crying for bottles."

"Oh, really? Do tell, what happens in their late twenties?" he asked.

"Duh, they start popping out litters of kits. Well, maybe late twenties is a bit too old. Really, the kits are what matter."

Nick imagined if he'd been drinking anything, he'd have done a spit-take all over the fine interior of their temporary ride. "H-hah, kits, huh? That's the difference?"

"Oh, yeah, you're a child until you're the mother of some children of your own." She returned her paw to the ignition. "At least, that's how it was in the Hopps' household," she muttered under her breath as she turned the key. The engine roared to life, giving the two a glorious rumble in their seats.

"What was that at the end?" Nick asked. "Didn't catch it over the engine turning over."

"Hmm? Oh, I didn't say anything," she replied.

"Hey, just be glad you've got two parents that love you enough to consider you a child," he laughed. The air in his throat felt dry and scratchy, and he immediately regretted his choice of words.

"Nick, what do you mean?" she asked. She gave him the same look of mournful understanding that he hated to see. His fur prickled in his seat, and he sighed silently to himself. _Can never keep your big muzzle shut, can you?_ he thought. _Now you've got her all worried before our date._

"I, uh, look, Carrots, I don't want anything to spoil our night," he said. "I know this seems really important to you, and I promise we'll get to it eventually, but right now I just want to pay for a lovely meal for us both and to enjoy our evening."

Judy thought she'd gotten pretty good at reading Nick, and the crystal clarity in the green of his eyes told her he wasn't lying about any of it. "I- you're right, Nick," she said.

"As usual."

She rolled her eyes. "And you're still an ass."

"Once again, as usual."

She turned her head to look over her shoulder, and began pulling the car out of the spot. The acceleration, even in reverse, took her off guard, and she was forced to slam on the brakes as they nearly backed into a car behind them.

They both wheeled around, and stared at the measly inches that separated their bumper with a raggedy old station wagon's. "H-hah, you sure you're good, Fluff?" Nick asked, the usual calm in his demeanor teetering in the wake of nearly scratching up their ill-gotten ride.

Judy's pupils were needle points as she slowly turned toward her partner. "I… Yeah, everything's alright. Her heart sprinted toward an invisible finish line in her chest. Ever so gently, she crept the car back into the spot to try again. With her paw inching off the brakes bit by bit, they successfully backed out of their spot. It only took ten seconds, though by Judy's estimation, it must have been years.

Once out, she tapped her foot against the gas pedal. The roadster lurched forward, sending both their stomachs into the seat. That earned another manic glance from Nick, who was beginning to seriously regret acting cool and suggesting they grab a car.

He reached his paw out to Judy's, which rested on the stick shift. His sense of self-preservation screamed at him to do something about the near-death experience he was confident he'd have in the next several minutes. When he looked at her face, though, it was scrunched up in concentration, trying to find the sweet spot on the gas to let them cruise out of the lot in style. He silently let out a sigh he didn't realize he was holding, and put his paw back in his lap.

After a few more sudden lurches, Judy found the speed she was looking for, and with a wave toward Roberto, they pulled out of the lot with the breeze in their fur. Although late afternoon traffic was at it's peak, and the heat was punishing when they were stopped, Judy couldn't stop beaming.

"Ever think you'd be behind the wheel of a car this cool, Carrots?" Nick asked. He knew the answer, of course, but he yearned to hear it out of her mouth.

In front of them, the light turned green. With a smirk directed at him, Judy threw her foot down and deftly shifted from first to second without missing a beat. They swiftly found themselves at another red light, but the rush of adrenaline for both of them was palpable.

"Hah, no, no I didn't," she replied. "Ever think your lame country-bunny partner could gun it like that?"

Nick put two fingers up to his neck to check his pulse. Although he did it mostly to make her laugh, he was mildly shocked when he found that her little stunt had, in fact, noticeably raised his heart rate. He gulped; he wasn't sure whether to be excited or frightened, and he doubted his ability to tell them apart at this point.

He was headed out on a date. With Judy. In a convertible neither of them could afford. After two near-sleepless nights where his mind refused to think about anything else other than his partner. "To be honest? I didn't," he replied. "Glad to learn that you could, though. Gotta say, I'm impressed that I'm still learning things about you after basically being glued at the hip."

"Well, I definitely don't have as many secrets as a former con-man, but us bunnies always have a few tricks up our sleeves," she said. She shifted into neutral and revved the engine. Although it wasn't the biggest or loudest around, the smooth roar coming from under the hood gave both Nick and Judy goosebumps. She turned to her left and saw an older couple in the car next to them shaking their heads. Once the light turned green, she gunned it once again, lurching forward past everyone else at the light.

"You… are enjoying this a bit too much," Nick said. He wasn't sure when his paw had started gripping the safety handle next to him, but he didn't want to let go.

"Isn't that the point?" Judy asked. The remainder of their ride went smoothly, if a little faster than Nick had initially anticipated. Judy's ears lay flat behind her, occasionally flapping after catching a backdraft of wind. As tempting as they looked, messing with them in their ticketing cart earned him a smooshed muzzle and an ornery rabbit; he wasn't sure he was ready for the consequences of teasing her while in her dream car.

Quiet filled the remaining minutes until they reached the restaurant. Nick didn't mind, though, and he was sure Judy didn't either. They pulled into an excellent spot in the parking lot and quickly got out of their car.

"We should probably get the top up in case it rains," Judy said, shutting her door.

Nick looked up at the nearly cloudless sky and scoffed. "C'mon, Fluff, it's hot as hell and it's a clear sky."

"Do you want to explain to Roberto why the inside of the car we borrowed is soaked?"

"Hey, the top was down when we got it!" he countered. "Although, he would probably blame it on us…"

Judy folded her arms in front of her. "Exactly. Now help me get the roof up."

Nick clacked his feet together and gave a crisp salute. The roof was up in short order, and after nodding at one another, the pair walked into the restaurant.

The dark red carpeting and low lighting, coupled with the relatively low ceiling gave the inside a quiet ambiance that Nick found appealing. "Oh, shoot, should we have made reservations?" Nick asked.

Judy waved him off with a flick of her paw. "Nah, I don't think this place is that classy. Besides, it's a Thursday. I can't imagine they're so busy that we'd wait a long time."

Judy was proven correct when the young ewe hostess was immediately able to give them a booth along the wall near the back. The pair were quickly poured ice water by a waitress and left with menus to peruse.

"What did you say was good here?" Nick asked.

"I had the eggplant bisque the other night," she replied. "But I think I'm gonna get something new."

Judy looked up from her menu at Nick, and her eyes suddenly went wide.

Nick couldn't miss her staring at him. "What's up? Got something on my shirt?"

"Oh, geez, I didn't even think to ask if this place caters to, you know..." she said. A paw slicked back one of her ears in anxiety.

"What are you- oh," he said. "Carrots, you don't need to worry ab-"

Judy couldn't see much of the restaurant from his seat. However, a quick scan around the restaurant revealed several predator couples enjoying their meals. Not a huge percentage of the diners, but enough.

"Oh, good, there's at least some predators here, so at least I didn't screw that up," she said.

"Fluff, you're not hearing me. I'm a-

"Still, I should put thought into that kind of thing by now. I'm your partner, and it's rude of me not to take you into consideration about food and stuff."

Nick rolled his eyes. "Relax, Carrots, no harm, no foul. Besides, it wouldn't have been a problem anyway, I'm-"

"Nick, I appreciate you being nice, but you don't need to be," she interrupted. "You're a predator, and if we're going out to eat, I need to be aware-"

"Judy!" he near-shouted. The use of her name immediately caught her attention, and she silenced herself. "Um, yes?" she asked.

"I'm a vegetarian," he said flatly. "You don't need to worry."

She stared at him again. "W-what? Really?"

He shrugged. "Yeah, really. I'm surprised you never noticed before."

"But, you're a fox! And foxes, I mean, aren't they-"

"Have you seen what's available for predators here in the city?" he asked. "Bugs. Forgive me for not wanting to ruin our meal by munching down on some beetles in front of you. Besides, a lot of preds are at least kinda vegetarian now, anyway. Our bodies can handle it more, and there's supplements for species that need especially high protein. I'm not one of them, so it's garden greens and tofu for me."

Judy listened attentively while he talked. Once it was clear he'd finished, she spoke again. "Wow, I never thought about it like that," she said. "What predators eat, I mean. I just assumed it was mostly what meat you can still eat." She averted her eyes from Nick, and her embarrassment at, once again, generalizing the predator population was palpable.

"Most prey species don't think about it," he said. "Most of the preds I know don't do the whole bug thing. I know Finnick hates it. Don't worry about it, though, seriously."

"But, I never even thought to ask! And I never noticed, despite eating with you all the time-"

"Fluff, you realized once we were at the restaurant, which is a lot better than most prey would do," he said. "I'm a big boy fox, you don't need to be such an emotional little bunny about it." He smirked at the last sentence.

"You're lucky I can't reach across the table and hit you for that," she huffed.

"Seriously, though? Thanks," he said, giving her a warm smile. "Even if we were already sitting down to eat, not many bunnies would worry themselves about the dietary requirements of a fox."

That earned a tiny return grin from Judy. The waitress came back right as she opened her mouth to reply.

"So, have we decided on anything?" she asked. Their waitress was a tall, slender white-tailed deer. Nick figured she must have been working a long shift, if her mussed up coat was any indication.

"Yeah, I'll be having a bowl of the eggplant bisque," he replied. "Oh, and an order of that spinach dip, what do you think Carrots?"

Judy, however, had not looked over the menu during her conversation, and was frantically scanning through to find a new dish that sounded appetizing. Nick rolled his eyes.

"Uh, the raspberry arugula salad sounds alright," she said. "What did you say Nick?"

"We'll take some spinach dip, too," he told the waitress.

"Alright, sounds good you two," she replied. She dashed away to another table after assuring them that they'd have their appetizer soon.

Silence drifted over the pair as they sipped their water. Nick relaxed and leaned back in his seat, but Judy was still hunched forward, eyes scanning back and forth at nothing. He caught eye of her frown quickly and spoke up.

"What's up, Fluff? Something on your mind?" he asked.

Judy's head snapped up, looking at the source of the interruption of her thought. "Huh? Yeah, I guess so," she replied. "It just feels… I don't know, sort of off just relaxing with you after how the last few days of work have been. I keep anticipating something else coming up, like a call from the Chief that Marty's on the run and he needs us to track him down. Something like that."

Nick nodded and waited several moments before speaking again. "I can see that. It's been a weird last few days, huh?" he replied. "Stake-outs, bugged computers, impromptu fox-shaped listening devices…"

Judy laughed. "Well, the listening device was carrot-shaped, it was just wielded by someone fox-shaped," she said. "I guess you could say the pen was mightier than the sword."

He groaned and slicked his ears back with his paws. Judy simply shot him a cheesy grin. "That was awful, Carrots. Brilliant, but awful," he said.

"I do what I can," she said. "But seriously, don't you feel a little on edge? Like our job isn't over? We should be there when Internal Affairs brings those guys in."

"Fluff, you know there's a reason we let IA interrogate other cops," he said, his tone becoming more dour. "We don't know Marty well, but they can't risk any sort of relationship between the perp and the arresting officer. We might get a crack at that hyena later, but Marty's out of our paws."

Judy pouted, folding her arms in front of her chest. "I know there's a good reason for it, but that doesn't mean I have to like it," she replied.

He leaned back once more and took a sip from his drink. "I know it's a bit underwhelming for us, but look at it this way. We got the bad guy! So what we aren't the ones to haul him in, that just means less paperwork for us."

"But I don't _mind_ more paperwork," she whined.

"You're insane," he chuckled. "My advice? Just sit back and bask in the glow of a job well done. We cracked the case, so let us now enjoy the spoils of our victory."

"Our spoils being…"

"...A tasty dinner and enjoyable evening in pleasant company?" Nick offered.

Judy thought a moment before holding up her glass over the table in front of him. "I think I can suffer through that," she said. Nick rolled his eyes and grinned before clinking his glass against hers. "To a boring, uneventful evening of regular adults eating dinner," he said.

"To a boring, uneventful evening of regular adults eating dinner," she repeated.

The conversation petered out, and once again Nick found himself thinking of what to say or do next. _Uneventful my tail, we're gonna have an amazing time,_ he thought. He realized he was inadvertently staring at Judy, and instead made his eyes wander around the restaurant. He decided on watching a kangaroo couple heartily laughing, much to the annoyance of a pair of sheep behind them.

"Hah, Fluff, you wanna resurrect our favorite patrol game?" he asked, a teasing lilt hiding at the edge of his voice.

Judy's eyes followed his paw toward the four mammals, and a smile broke out across her face. "Mammal watching?" she asked. "Definitely."

Nick nodded. "Alright, what do you think the roos are laughing about?"

Judy squinted, trying to get a better look across the restaurant. Although it was difficult to tell kangaroos apart at a distance, the one she took as female was gesturing wildly, while her partner struggled to stifle laughter. She couldn't tell if the other kangaroo was male or female from her seat, though.

"Hmm, definitely some sort of sorority story," she said. "Probably some drunken hijinks or something."

"Not a bad guess," he replied. "I was gonna say something involving a clown car, gallons of fake blood, and a bear costume, but your idea is probably more likely."

Judy shook her head and laughed. "I don't know, gallons of fake blood and clown cars do go perfectly together, after all."

Nick took a long sip from his water, savoring it as he set the glass down. He hadn't realized just how comfortable he was until that moment. He was finally out of the heat, sitting down in air conditioning, having a regular conversation with Judy. Although it had only been about a week since they'd last done something like this, it felt more like ages to him.

"Well, what do you think has Mr. and Mrs. Wool so upset?" he asked. "Probably a member of the clown union, I bet, angry that their hard-earned union pay is being thrown away to a bunch of amateurs."

Judy tried in vain to contain her giggles. "Y-you, where do you even come up with this stuff," she asked through her breaths.

He shrugged. "What can I say, just a natural comedian, I guess." Judy knew he was just trying to play it cool, though she didn't feel like calling him out on it.

"If I had to guess, I'd say their more frustrated that the other kangaroo kicks every time he laughs, and him constantly thumping his back against their booth is probably driving them nuts," she said. "Though clown union scabs is definitely a close second, I think."

"Oh, hah, I didn't even notice the kicking," he said. "Good eye, Fluff."

"What can I say, just a natural… spotter? I guess?" she replied.

"Ooh, got me good there. Natural spotter, that's quite a title."

Their conversation was cut short by their waitress bringing them their appetizer and refilling their water. After a quick thank you, she pranced back to the kitchen.

"Damn, she looks crazy busy," he said. "The restaurant isn't even that full, either. Always hated it when other waiters called in sick."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "You were a waiter? Really?"

"Among other things, yes. Conning wasn't always 40 hour a week work, so odd jobs here and there usually filled in the gaps. What about you? You ever get a job before graduating from the academy? I imagine 'barista' or 'waitress' would have been child's play to a young Judith Laverne Hopps."

She stared daggers at him after his last sentence. "Well, that's your one use of my middle name for the month, _Piberius_ , so I hope you're happy," she replied.

"Oh, I always am," he shot back. His muzzle was a mixture of a gloating smirk at irritating her and a grimace at the use of his own middle name.

"Well, to answer your question before you so rudely brought up my birth name," she began, "no, I never really held any job before now. I mean, between the farm work I had to help with, school, studying every book on law enforcement I could find, and policing my own brothers and sisters, I barely had any time to myself."

Nick took a bite out of their appetizer, nearly drowning a pita chip in the dip. He didn't realize how hungry he was, and self-consciousness about making a mess while eating suddenly ate away at him. The touched the tip of his tongue to one of his canines again, and felt compelled to eat more delicately in front of Judy. _Ugh, now she's affecting how I eat, too?_ he thought. _This had better be one of the last 'new developments.'_

"Sounds like, er, you were pretty busy with all of your siblings," he replied as she took a bite for herself. She breathed a sigh of content as she chewed.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, we basically all were," she said. "I mean, when you've got close to 300 brothers and sisters, some jobs will fall through the cracks to the kids."

Nick rested his chin under his paws. "Like what?"

"Well, I've definitely changed more diapers than any single rabbit should," she replied, diving in for another bite. "But I've done my fair share of babysitting, cooking, making lunches, helping with homework, that sort of stuff." She extended a finger for each job she listed.

"Wow, sounds like a lot of stuff your parents should have been doing," he said.

Judy laughed. "Oh, they did more than any of us, believe me. It's just, well, that's sorta how things run in bunny families. I mean, to be honest, I sometimes have a hard time remembering everyone's names."

Nick gawked at her, a chip in his paw clattering to the table. "What? You can't remember their names?"

"Well, sometimes it takes me a little bit!" she huffed. "And it's only the ones from other much later litters. We tend to be closer to our litter-mates, anyway."

"Wow, I guess I'd never thought of that," he said, picking up his chip off the table.

"Ew, Nick, don't eat that! It was on the table!"

He shrugged. "Eh, they wipe 'em down." He flipped it into his mouth and quickly chewed.

"I've got to be boring you with all of this, though," she said, flipping an ear off her shoulder. "I can't imagine you want to hear about me changing diapers as a teenager."

"You can't be serious," he said. "Carrots, I just can't believe we never talked about this before. I mean, I knew you had a lot of siblings, but… the sheer logistics of it all…"

She snorted with laughter. "Yeah, things got a little crazy now and again. The terrible twos are pretty terrible when there's twenty of them. But I'm sure you've got crazy stories from when you were a kid, too."

"I mean, I've got crazy stories from when I was on the street," he chuckled. "Let's just say my first time hustling pool didn't go as well as I'd expected."

She shook her head. "No, no, I know you've got a million of those. I've heard about half of them already," she muttered under her breath.

Nick's ear flicked in her direction. "Sorry, what was that, Fluff? Didn't quite catch that."

"Huh? Oh, nothing," she said, reaching for another chip.

"No, no, I'm pretty sure you said something."

"Nicholas Wilde, I don't know what you're talking about. Besides, I meant crazy stories about your family and siblings and stuff."

Nick's ears instinctively fell back against his head. He hated that they were always such a dead giveaway of his mood, but knew there was little he could do about it. "Carrots, I didn't have any brothers or sisters growing up," he said, doing his best to sound as neutral about the statement as possible. "Plenty of friends on my block, though."

"Oh, I never knew you were an only child," she said. Her tone fell from its chipper tower. Judy had looked into Nick before he joined the force, but documents about his family were few and far between. _Unsurprisingly_ , she thought.

Nick cringed internally. _This is exactly what I wanted to avoid earlier._

"Well, I'm sure you drove your parents nuts at least," she giggled half-heartedly. "I can't imagine a Nick Wilde that wasn't in trouble 24/7." He appreciated her attempt at switching gears, though he knew it was fruitless.

"I... well, not exactly," he said. "I am interested in hearing how young Judy wrangled a dozen younger siblings, though." He smiled at her like he used to smile at lemmings before he sold them overpriced popsicles, and he hated it.

"But I've been talking your ears off, and to be honest it's making me a little self-conscious," she said. One of her paws went up and started fidgeting with the base of her ears. "I'm not used to talking about myself this much, and I feel like I barely know anything about what you were like as a kid."

His smile slowly crumbled. "Carrots, that's kinda been by design, if you know what I mean," he said. He sighed, looking down at his lap. "My, uh, Dad wasn't really in the picture, so Mom worked her tail off to give me the opportunity to do what I wanted. I, uh, don't really remember anything about my dad."

Judy's mouth opened, but no words came out. She berated herself internally for pushing the issue. _This was supposed to be a nice night, dammit, and you just had to press him for answers_ , she thought. _Way to go, you pushed too hard yet again._

She extended a paw to him, but pulled it back halfway to his arm. "I- er, Nick, I'm so sorry for bringing it up, I shou-"

Nick's head snapped up to look at her. "No! Uh, I mean, no, it's okay, Fluff," he said. She'd laid her arm down on the table, and he took the opportunity to rest his paw on hers. She jumped slightly at the touch, returning his stare. "I mean, I don't like talking about it, but you're my partner and friend. If there's anyone that I could talk about it with, it's you."

"Nick, you don't have to-"

He held the his other paw up. "Carrots, please. I think…" He stopped to think of the right words to say. He became aware that his paw was shaking a bit, and tried to force it to be silent. "I think talking about this with you would be different. Cathartic, even."

She stayed silent, digesting what he was saying. "Have you talked to anyone about all this before?" she asked.

"Well, Finnick, definitely," he said. "He's got a few years on me, so he helped me through a lot of it when I was younger. For such a vengeful little bastard, he can be a good listener."

The two shared a laugh at Finnick's expense. It was one of Nick's favorite pastimes.

Judy spoke first. "Nick, if you really want to, then I'm here to listen with, well, the largest ears that have ever heard the story."

"I'm not so sure, you may have him on height, but Finnick might just edge you out on surface area," he chuckled. Judy rolled her eyes.

"Well, if you're offering to listen," he said. "Like I mentioned, dad wasn't really in the picture. I never did get a straight story out of mom, but you know all those stereotypes about foxes? I think he basically fit every one of them."

He paused to take a drink of water. Judy wanted to say something, to jump ahead and tell him it's alright, like she used to do with her younger siblings. She forced herself, however, to just listen.

"She, gods, she worked her tail off all the time," he continued. "It's why I was so upset after that Ranger Scouts meeting. She tried to hide it from me, but I knew it cost a lot to get that uniform, even if it wasn't new. So when it turned out the way it did…"

"You felt like you let her down?"

He nodded. "I didn't know how to face anything after that. Wasn't long after that I did my first popsicle hustle. Made a couple of bucks, and Mom found her wallet a little heavier the next morning. It was just me and her there for a while."

Nick had retracted his paw, and found himself almost slouching in his seat. Talking about this was easier than he'd expected it. _No, talking about this with Judy is easier than I expected_ , he thought. _Although I probably should have guessed it would work out like this._

"Your mom, is she still… you know," Judy asked slowly, her voice dancing over invisible eggshells.

Nick's face scrunched together in confusion before finally getting it. "Oh! Oh, yeah, she's still alive, Carrots, don't worry about that. Vivian Wilde ain't going down that easy," he laughed. "Visited her just a few weeks before meeting you. Told her about the whole amusement park idea. She seemed to really like it."

"Have you seen her since becoming a cop?" she asked.

Nick grimaced. His collar began to heat up uncomfortably. "Er, not… exactly. I'm kinda, uh, due up for a visit, I guess."

Judy's eyes nearly bugged out of her head. "What? I- you, does she even know you're a cop?"

"Well duh, it was all over the papers. She lives in the city, so yeah, she knows."

Judy was nearly steaming at this point. She wasn't sure where this anger was coming from, but she felt compelled to give Nick a stern talking to in place of his mother. "You're telling me that you've been the first fox officer in the entire city of Zootopia for nearly nine months and you haven't even visited your mom to talk to her about it?"

Nick's ears perked after hearing a rhythmic _thump thump thump_ from under the table. _Oh boy, she's tapping her foot_ , he thought. _How did this turn into an interrogation about me? I was pouring my heart out back there! Why am I always the victim…_ He wasn't sure when his inner voice had gotten so whiny, but he figured he'd earned the right to whine a bit with how Judy was talking to him. The tapping was almost soothing, in an impending doom sort of way.

"I, uh, yeah, that's an accurate representation of the situation, more or less," he said. "Though it's really been closer to eight months, just saying."

He cowered and shriveled into his seat. He still sat several inches higher than her, but she may as well have been towering over him. "Well, I know what we're doing next weekend," she said with a huff.

Nick gulped. "Oh, really? And, er, what is that, if you don't mind me ask-"

"You're taking me to meet your mom, and I don't want to hear any buts about it."

"Whatever you say, Bonnie," he muttered.

"Excuse me? Wanna run that by me one more time?"

Nick's prayer on high for a savior was answered when the doe waitress brought their food over, carefully balanced on each hoof. "Eggplant bisque for the fox, and raspberry arugula for the bunny," she said, deftly setting down each plate. Nick had to admire the dexterity to handle their plates without any fingers. "Either of you need anything else?" the doe asked.

"No, we're good for right now," Judy replied, the usual cheer back in her voice, as though the events leading up to the wrathful vengeance she was about to smite Nick with had never occurred. The doe nodded and glided over to another table to help more customers.

"Anyway, as I was saying," Judy began, taking a bite of her salad. "We're visiting your mom next week and there's nothing you can do to stop it, so might as well get used to it." She talked while chewing, though Nick had to admit it didn't bother him like it usually did.

Nick sighed, his head drooping forward. "There's no way to talk you out of this, is there?" he asked. Judy shook her head, taking another bite of her meal.

"Well, then you'll have to prepare," he said, a warning creeping on the edges of his voice. Judy picked up on it and stopped chewing. "Because if I know Vivian Wilde, and I think I do, she doesn't let just anyone work with her little boy. If you think Bogo can grill someone for info, just wait until you meet my dear old mother."

Judy swallowed, nearly choking on the half-chewed salad. The ramifications of her boldness were beginning to set it. Nick happily sampled his soup, and sighed when it hit his lips. "Excellent recommendation on the soup, by the way," he said. "You were right, this is amazing."

Judy snapped herself out of her daze, making a note to panic about meeting Nick's mother later. Although he'd opened up about much of his life already, she felt compelled to press on one more thing. "Nick, is all of this, your dad not being around, not seeing your mom, getting into hustling as a kit, is all of that why you're so interested in my life?" she asked.

Nick's paw halted halfway to his mouth, and he set the spoon down back in his bowl. "Carrots, I… I mean, yeah, that's part of it, I guess," he began. "Curiosity about what life was like with a gazillion brothers and sisters and two parents, but that's not the real reason. I'm interested in your life because you're my partner and best friend. Doesn't take a detective to figure that out, to be honest."

He ended with a shrug and returned to his soup, leaving Judy smiling as she stared at her lap. "Well, I've got a million stories, although I find it hard to believe that they're even remotely interesting," she said. "I can tell you more when we're out on patrol if you want."

Nick nodded. "I wouldn't mind. It would help break the boredom when mammal watching gets old," he said.

"There's a catch, though," she said.

Nick rolled his eyes. "Of course there is. And what kind of hard bargain are you driving?"

She leaned back in her seat, folding her arms over her chest. It wasn't often that she got to be on this side of negotiations, and the smirk on her face told Nick she loved every second of it.

"I want to hear some stories about you. It's no fair that I get to be an open book while you get to keep playing the 'mysterious fox with a checkered past' card."

"But a handsome face and mysterious past are all I have," Nick whined, dramatically sticking his lower lip out in a pout. A grumpy spoonful of soup found his mouth, and he pondered a moment. "Alright, Fluff, you get some stories about me, I get some stories about you, everyone's happy."

Judy had to contain a squeal from coming out. "Deal!" she said, extending her paw. Nick chuckled and took it, sealing their deal.

"Good, now that's out of the way, I can finally enjoy my meal," she said, diving into her salad again with vigor.

"Oh, what, were my tales of childhood woe holding you up? So sorry, princess," Nick teased.

Judy stuck her tongue out at him before taking another bite. Nick saw the room for silence and returned to his own meal. The pair ate in peace for a minute, enjoying the sounds of the restaurant around them. Nick caught a few furtive glances of Judy while he ate. The dimmed atmosphere cast light shadows across her face, and he found it hard not to admire her features in the low light. A slightly-too-large bite of salad gave her a mild coughing fit, breaking the perfection of his daydream. "Ever hear of chewing, Carrots?" he chuckled.

"In fact, I have heard of chewing carrots. Did that almost every dinner back on the farm," she retorted.

"Wha- oh, haha, you think you're so clever, don't you," he replied.

"Yeah, I think so," she said, her voice ripe with the airy self-satisfaction that Nick normally only heard out of his own mouth. "Especially after a certain fox refuses to quit teasing me."

"Oh, come on, you know you love me," he countered. His eyes immediately went wide once he heard what he'd said. His mind hearkened back to their first day on patrol when they'd busted Flash for speeding; the change in meaning from then to now was so thick he thought he was choking on it.

Judy stared back at him in stunned silence. "Do I know that?" she asked. "I- wait a second-" An ear cocked toward a corner of the restaurant, while her face scrunched up in confusion.

"Uh, Fluff? What were you gonna sa-"

Judy shushed him and turned around in her seat, trying to find the source of whatever she'd heard. Nick groaned inwardly; while foxes couldn't sweat, he imagined if he could, the lingering anticipation of what she was going to say next would have him drenched.

"I hear something, but there's no way I'm hearing it right," Judy said.

"Huh? What, like something dangerous?" he asked.

Judy shook her head and waved him off. "No, no, nothing like that, but I think I-"

She stopped once her eyes caught sight of her target: a rather rotund fox with an old-fashioned haircut talking in a thick country accent to a slender goat who Judy could only guess was the owner. The two were laughing together near the front of the restaurant and shaking paws.

"Gideon Grey?" she said, a little louder than she'd intended. The fox looked over in her direction at the mention of his name. His face lit up once he saw the source, and waved over to her. "Judy Hopps?" he called back. He whispered something to the goat, who nodded and turned toward the kitchen, while Gideon made a beeline for Judy's table.

"Holy cow, it is you," Gideon said. A wide smile showed off his teeth. "Judy Hopps, right here! Small world, I guess."

Nick stared back and forth between the portly fox and Judy. Nick immediately pegged Gideon as a childhood friend of Judy's, if his thick accent was any indication.

"Wow, Gideon, I can't believe you're here in the city," Judy replied. "What are you doing so far outside of Bunnyburrow?"

 _A fox in Bunnyburrow? Poor bastard_ , Nick thought. _Probably not too many predators out there._ While he did have the occasional prey acquaintance growing up, his ill-fated encounter with the Junior Ranger Scouts made Nick stick with predators for most of his childhood. The idea of growing up surrounded by rabbits, sheep and squirrels sounded suffocating.

"Well, shoot, after seein' what a bigshot you'd become around here, I figured it was high time I grow the bakery," he said. "I'm tryin' to get some of my pies and cakes sold up here in the big city. You know, get my name out there, become a real entree-preneur."

Judy smiled wide, her ears standing straight up. "Gideon, that sounds fantastic! If the stuff my mom says about your pies is even half true, you'll be a culinary star of Zootopia in no time," she said.

Nick wasn't quite sure how a fox could blush through his fur, and he wasn't sure whether to be impressed or disturbed that Gideon pulled it off. "Aw, shucks, I don't know about none of that," he said. "Just lookin' for a bit of extra spendin' money is all. Maybe take on another employee, expand the buildin', that sorta thing."

Gideon turned his head toward Nick slightly, his nose quietly sniffing the air. He raised an eyebrow. _What, he think I stink like the city or something?_ Nick wondered. Immediately, guilt drizzled down on him like a grey Thursday afternoon; he didn't have any reason to be suspicious of this fox, even if his manners left a bit to be desired.

"I think it sounds like a fantastic idea," Judy replied. As soon as she'd finished her sentence, a rumbling in her stomach gave her pause, which morphed into concern she felt pressure in her lower abdomen. By the time she stood up out of the booth, she was cursing her small bladder, and knew she didn't have long. "Um, I've got to use the little doe's room, I'll be right back," she said. She turned to Nick and mouthed I'm sorry. "Nick, you can, uh, get acquainted with Gideon in the meantime!"

 _A little warning would be nice. Why always when I'm out at dinner on a date_ , Judy whined in her head. She realized she'd just called this a date, but the omnipresent groaning from her abdomen told her there was no time to consider the implications of such a thought

Gideon stepped aside to let her out of the booth. Nick noticed she was making a poor attempt to walk quickly while appearing aloof, and rolled his eyes. "Heh, Bunny bladders," he chuckled. "I swear she leaves her desk ten times a day."

He turned toward Gideon, and the pair stared for about two seconds past uncomfortable before looking away. "So, uh, how goes the date?" Gideon asked.

Nick's head whipped around to face him. "Date? What makes you think this is a date?" he replied. "What, a fox can't have a pleasant evening out with his bunny friend?"

Gideon snickered and covered his mouth with a paw. Nick's opinion of the fox was steadily dropping. "Mind filling me in on what's so funny, fox to fox?" he asked.

"Uh, these other folks might not be able to tell, but do you know what you smell like right now?" Gideon replied.

Nick looked down at himself and raised an arm, taking a tentative sniff. "What, I smell like city fox or something?"

Gideon continued to giggle at the same rate that Nick's patience was dropping. "No, no, I mean what you _smell_ like. You got city education, so ya know what pheromones are, right? 'Cause you're lettin' every fox in a square mile know that whoever's sittin' across from you is yours, and paws off."

Nick's pupils became pinpricks as what Gideon said settled in like a bad hangover. He took another sniff again, and there it was, plain as day; the overbearing stench of a lovesick fox. _How the hell didn't I notice this before?_ he thought. He slumped over, his paws running over his face. "Oh, gods, is it that bad?" he asked.

Gideon's snickering persisted like a cold. "Boy, as soon as I walked in the room I couldn't even smell my pies anymore. I doubt anyone who ain't a fox has caught on, but I'd imagine every fox in the city's gonna steer clear of you."

Nick groaned. "Ugh, I'm out of Musk Mask at my place, too. Why do they sell it in such small bottles, anyway?"

"I know, tell me about it," Gideon whinged. "You know how hard that crap is to get out in the Burrows? Shipping and handling fees for Mask is gonna put me outta business at this rate. Price gougin' thieves, I tell ya."

"Hey, at least out there you don't have too many other foxes that'll catch on," Nick replied, a smile creeping across his muzzle. He hadn't intended to get into the pity Olympics with Gideon, but there never was a fox that didn't take the opportunity to complain about how expensive Musk Mask was. "Out here, high school was a nightmare. Every other fox knew when you had a crush on a vixen, or, uh, other mammal."

"At least out here, you got other smells to cover it up," Gideon said. "In the country, the wind carries. Mask might make you smell okay, but when you went and stunk up a whole field, there's not enough of that stuff in the world to get it out."

The two shared a laugh, the awkwardness now vanished without a trace. Nick grinned and extended his paw. "Officer Nick Wilde," he said. "Any friend of Judy's is a friend of mine."

Gideon took his paw and shook it warmly. "Gideon, Gideon Grey," he replied. "So, uh, you never answered my question. How's the date goin'?"

Nick ran a paw and slicked back his ears, groaning in frustration. "Ugh, I, well, I think it's going okay? She's having a good time, at least."

"She know it's a date?" Gideon asked.

Nick sucked air in through his teeth and held his breath, exhaling slowly. "Um, that's not really, uh, something that she may or may not be aware of, no."

Nick wasn't quite sure what to call the noise Gideon had made, but if he had to guess, he'd call it a guffaw. "So you think you're on a date, and Judy over there don't have a clue?" Gideon asked.

"Ugh, I don't know," Nick said. His face found one of his paws as he groaned. He wasn't quite sure why he was opening up to who was functionally a stranger. _Eh, screw it. He's a fox, I'm a fox, what more do you need, right?_ he thought. "I mean, we're having a good time, at least. I've been on plenty of dates, and this certainly feels like one. Might just be wishful thinking talking, but I think it's a date. She's told me plenty of stories about the farm, and in my experience, childhood stories are usually date talk."

Gideon recoiled enough for Nick to notice at the mention of the farm. "Stories, huh?" he asked tentatively. "She, uh, mention me at all?"

"...No, why, should she have mentioned you?" he replied, squinting at him. His eyes shot open as a light went off in his head. "Wait, you two didn't, like, date or anything, did you? Are you responsible for her thing for foxes?"

Gideon rolled his eyes. "I thought you wasn't sure that this was a date. How're you so sure she's got a thing for foxes?"

"Uh, I mean, it's a hypothesis I've been working on," he replied.

"Well, in any case, no, we definitely didn't date and if she does have a thing for foxes, it ain't on account of me," Gideon said. "It's really the, well, it's really the opposite. If she is on a date with you, then I'm mighty impressed by how far she's come considerin' our, uh, history."

Nick cocked his head slightly. "History? What are you talking about?" he asked.

"Well, it's nothin' I'm proud of, but I don't shy away from it, neither," Gideon sighed. "I was sort of a schoolyard bully growin' up. Everyone was so scared of foxes, I figured I'd give 'em what they expected."

"Boy, don't I know that feeling," Nick muttered.

"Bein' the only fox for miles didn't help none, either. I also had, uh, other personal stuff I was workin' through," Gideon continued. "That's all excuses, though. I was angry and took it out on all the sheep and bunnies in town."

Nick extended a paw to Gideon's shoulder. "Hey, c'mon, so you were a bit of a jerk as a kit. It's water under the bridge," he said.

"It wasn't really just bein' a jerk," Gideon replied, brushing Nick's paw off. "You ever notice a scar on Judy's cheek? I imagine it's real shallow now, but it's there."

Nick thought back; he couldn't recall any scar, but he did remember Judy absentmindedly touching her left cheek now and again. "I vaguely recall one, why?"

"That's on account of me," he said. Gideon stared at the floor as the memories of his youth played through his mind. "I treated Judy like dirt, told her she'd never be a cop, that sorta thing. I wanted so badly to be a big, scary predator."

Nick's mind flew to his first encounter with Judy and how harshly she'd judged him. At the now-infamous press conference, when she'd cowered when he'd extended his claws toward her. _The only fox she knew growing up attacked her and tried to make her feel worthless_ , he thought. _I was probably the second fox she'd ever met._

"What're you, uh, thinking?" Gideon asked, chuckling uncomfortably. "I ain't self-conscious or nothin', but I did just kinda pour my guts out to a total stranger."

"Huh? Oh, nothing," Nick replied, snapping back to the present. "That just explains a few things, I guess. I didn't realize she'd only ever known one fox before she met me."

"Well, there was my folks, but the Hopps family never really came over for supper, if you catch my meanin'," he said.

"Yeah, I getcha. Hey, thanks, Gideon. I mean it. I doubt she'd have told me all that stuff herself," Nick said. "And don't beat yourself up so much over it. Judy's not really one to hold a grudge."

Gideon laughed. "Yeah, she sure ain't. And honestly, I'm in a lot better place now, but I can't let myself forget what got me here, you know?"

"More than you think, I bet," Nick replied.

A comfortable silence settled over the pair for a few moments. Nick took the opportunity to take a drink; he hadn't realized how thirsty he'd gotten during their conversation.

"Hey, you mind if I give you a bit of friendly advice? Fox to fox, I mean," Gideon asked.

Nick set his glass down and shrugged. "Knock yourself out."

"Now, I ain't meanin' this in a rude way, but I've known Judy a lot longer than you have," he began. "But I'm sure you know the one thing about Judy that makes her so Judy."

Nick stared back at Gideon, nodding his head more in confusion than understanding. "Uh, sure I do. Let's say I didn't, though. Where are you going with this, exactly?"

"She don't give up for anythin'," Gideon said. "No matter what it is, if Judy Hopps wants it, she's gonna get it. Whether it was pitchin' on the school softball team, or bein' a cop, or tellin' me to shove it, she doesn't let nothin' get in her way."

"Yeah, you can say that again," Nick replied. "I don't think I've ever seen Judy lose a perp, no matter how big or small they are."

"Exactly. She wants it, she gets it, one way or another," Gideon said. "So my advice? Just relax, friend. If she thinks this is a date, and she's interested, I don't think it matters whether you're interested too or not. She's gonna have ya, and there's nothin' you can do about it."

Nick surprised himself by laughing out loud at his advice. "Hah, you know what, Gideon? That's honestly some pretty good advice. A lot better than what I expected from a country boy pastry chef."

"Pastry _and confectionery_ chef, I'll have you know," Gideon replied cheekily. "Besides, I don't think you got much to worry about."

"Hmm? What do you mean?" Nick asked.

"Well, you're lettin' off gallons of pheromones, right?"

Nick rolled his eyes. "Yes, we've already been over this embarrassing fact. What's your point?"

"Well, maybe it's 'cause your nose is dulled from all the smells of the city, but you know bunnies got pheromones too, right?" Gideon asked. He bore a wolfish grin that didn't altogether match his pudgy frame.

"I, uh, what do you mean? What, do you smell something?" Nick asked, his voice teetering on the edge of panic.

"I wouldn't worry too much about it, Nick," Gideon replied. "Oh, and there she is!" He gestured over to Judy, who quickly made it back to her seat.

"Sorry about that, had to, uh, powder my nose," Judy said. She plopped back into her spot at the table before the look that Gideon and Nick were giving each other made her pause. "Um, what did you two talk about while I was gone?" she asked.

"Oh, you know, just fox stuff," Gideon replied. He shot a furtive glance back at Nick as he spoke.

"Yeah, fox-to-fox. Gideon here gave me a big spiel about protecting your honor and 'If I so much as laid a paw on you, then I'd wake up dazed and shaved out in the sticks of Bunnyburrow,' or something like that," Nick said.

Judy barely contained a snort of laughter out of her nose. "Gideon, I didn't realize you were so protective of me," she giggled.

Gideon put his paws on either side of his belly, sliding over the strained stitching on his overalls. "Yup, that's me, regular knight in shining armor. Got the body for it to boot, too," he chuckled.

Soon, the whole table had erupted in laughter, much to the derision of some of the neighboring booths. "Gideon, it was really great to see you. We should catch up sometime," Judy said, wiping a tear from her eye.

"That'd suit me just fine," he replied. "Well, I don't wanna overstay my welcome. I'll let y'all get back to your meal. It was nice meetin' ya, Nick." He extended his paw, which Nick took firmly.

"Likewise, Gideon. If you ever need any help in the city, Judy has my number," he said.

"Oh, make sure you say hi to Travis from me, too," Judy said.

Gideon nodded and turned to walk away. "Sure thing, Judy! Gods know I see him every night as it is," he said while a smirk played across his lips. The change in expression wasn't missed on Nick, who turned back to Judy.

"Who's Travis?" he asked.

"Gideon's best friend from when we were kids," Judy replied. "I think Gideon told me he helps him out at the bakery. Not many other mammals liked them growing up, so I think it's sweet that they're still such good friends."

Gideons' expression replayed itself in Nick's head. "...Yeah, 'good friends,' sure," he said, taking a sip from his drink.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Judy asked.

Nick calmly set his drink back down and smiled. "Nothing, don't worry about it, Carrots," he said. "Also, 'powder your nose?' You didn't even bring anything with you into the bathroom."

She blushed faintly pink under her grey fur. "Hey, can we not talk about me going to the bathroom at dinner?" she blustered.

Nick shrugged. "Sure, but next time tell a more convincing lie." His snark was rewarded with one of his favorite things in the world; a famed, genuine Judy Hopps pout. "Aw, c'mon, don't be like that," he cooed. He reached out with one of his feet and tickled the sole of her paw under the table. "Especially when you clearly can't stop smiling in my presence like this."

Nick's ministrations immediately made Judy break out into a fit of giggles. She kicked her legs under the table, doing her best to swat away her attacker. "N-Nick, quit it, this is a fancy restaurant!" she laughed. "You're gonna get us thrown out!"

Mischief made, Nick sighed contentedly and pulled his foot back. "Whatever you say, officer," he replied. He returned to his soup and was happy to find that it was still pleasantly warm.

Judy took a bite of her salad before speaking up again. "Hey, do you wanna try some of this salad?" she asked. "It's really good. I bet you'd like it."

Nick looked up from his spoon and shrugged. "Sure, but I don't have a plate to put any on, how am I going to try it-"

He was interrupted by Judy reaching over to him with a fork laden with arugula, pine nuts, red onion, and vinaigrette. He stared at her, at the fork, and back to her. "Uh, Fluff, I appreciate it, but I'm a grown-"

Judy rolled her eyes and slowly moved the fork toward his muzzle. "Oh, quit being such a baby and just take a bite. I promise your masculinity won't take a hit."

Nick opened his mouth to retort, but thought better of it. He leaned forward and accepted the bite. The heat in his cheeks kindly informed him of his embarrassment at being fed by a bunny in public, but he had to admit, it was a great salad. Judy pulled her fork back and set it back down on her plate. "So, what did you think?" she asked.

Nick chewed slowly and swallowed. Judy was looking at him without the slightest trace of amusement or deviousness. He hadn't been fed by another mammal in nearly three decades, and the feeling still left him uncomfortably warm. "It was, uh, pretty good," Nick replied. "I might have to order it next time."

"Oh, there's a next time?" Judy asked. Her ears perked and twitched slightly. "Well, if we come again, I want to split the check. There's no way I'm letting you pay my way a second time."

Nick shook his head. "Oh, you bunnies and your pride," he said. "Sure, next time we come, you can be a big girl and pay for yourself."

Judy nodded and started on her salad again. "You're damn right I can," she said, her voice drenched in overbearing confidence. Nick couldn't help but laugh.

"Carrots, it's not a competition," he said. "And we know how much the other makes. I'd pay for your meal if you wanted me to. Hell, even if you didn't want me to."

The fluttering in Judy's chest had returned as Nick spoke. "Well, as nice as that sounds, I couldn't do that to you," she replied, before quietly adding, "I do really appreciate it, though. Thanks."

"Don't mention it," he said. The pair descended back into silence as they comfortably finished off their food. Their doe waitress soon came back around to their table right as their plates became empty. "So, can I get either of you any dessert?" she asked, scooping up the dishes into her free hoof.

"Nah, I'm good over here," Nick said. "Fluff, what about you?"

Judy's face scrunched up in concentration as she scanned through a dessert menu on the table. "Hmm, I… no, I'm good, thanks," she said.

"Carrots, if you want something, go ahead and order it," Nick said. "Don't hold back on my account or anything."

"No, don't worry about it, I don't need anything," she replied, tucking the menu back into the holder on the table.

"What? I've seen you put away way more than just that salad," he said. "Seriously, I don't mind."

Judy stared down at her paws and mumbled something. "What? I didn't catch that," Nick said.

"...don't have…" was all Nick could get out the second time. "Fluff, speak up, I can't hear you."

Judy sighed. "They… don't have any carrot cake," she said. "If they had carrot cake, I'd order it, but they don't, so I won't."

Nick had to restrain himself from chuckling. "Oh, well, I'll remember the next time we grab dinner to pick a place that has genuine carrot cake for our resident country bunny," he replied.

He dodged Judy's death glare by turning and reaching for his wallet. He pulled out his card and slid it to the waitress, who dashed away with it in a blink.

Judy was still huffing over the carrot cake remark, much to Nick's devious glee. "I gotta say, Fluff, you were right. This place was pretty good," he said in an attempt to whittle down her frustration.

"You're not off the hook for the country bunny line," she replied. "But thanks. I knew you'd like it."

Nick noticed the beginnings of a smile tugging at her mouth. Looks like I am off the hook after all, he thought.

"So what made you think of me when you were here?" he asked. "Couldn't have been the food, considering you didn't know your partner of nearly a year was a vegetarian."

"I'll have you know your name came up in conversation, that's all," she replied curtly. "Besides, the food is good, and I know what a pushover you are for a decent meal after work."

"Oof, you got me there, Carrots," he said. "So you, uh, had a good time with Cam, then? He wasn't a maniacal hare with an evil mustache trying to tie you to a train track?"

Judy broke into a fit of giggles. "Y-yup, that's exactly it," she said through her laughter. "It was all a scheme to fulfill his lifelong dream of being a cartoon villain." Nick couldn't help but smile at her attempts to control her giggling, though a grimace at the visage of Cam grinning like he'd won something bubbled under the surface.

"In all honesty, he's a nice guy, and he gave me some pretty good advice," she said. "So please, for the sake of cheese and crackers, don't worry about me, okay?"

Nick sighed. "I'm not sure that's possible, Fluff."

The waitress returned with his card, which he slipped back into his wallet. "What do you mean?" Judy asked.

Nick slicked back his ears and leaned forward. "Look, when we're out on patrol, you worry about me, right?" he asked.

"I mean, I know you can handle yourself-"

"But you still worry, even a tiny bit, right?"

Judy paused. "Well… yeah, I suppose I do. So?"

"So it's the same from me." Nick reached out and lay a paw on hers. "Believe me, Carrots, I know how tough and competent you are. Hell, I can barely keep up sometimes. Just look at today's ticket counts. But despite all that, there's still a small part of me that worries that if things go awry, I won't be able to help."

Nick slid his paw off Judy's and leaned back, shutting his eyes. "Ugh, listen to me, I sound like an overburdened mother," he said.

"No, you don't," Judy replied. She took several moments before speaking again to gather her thoughts. One of Nick's eyes had peeped open, watching her intently. "You sound like… a good partner," she said at last. "I know we'll worry about each other a bit while we're out on patrol. Heck, if some vixen bartender wandered over here and wanted to give you a tip about something illegal going on, I'd probably have my doubts," she chuckled.

Nick's ears perked. "Oh, so you'd be jealous about a vixen informant who wanted to talk only to me, huh?" he asked.

Judy's cheeks bloomed with pink. "What? No, that's not what I meant! I definitely wouldn't be jealous," she replied hastily. "Wait, are you implying that you were jealous? Is that it?"

Nick wasn't fond of Judy's ability to flip a conversation back at him so quickly. "Psh, me, jealous? Of Cotton McBowtieface? Not likely," he responded, putting on his best flippant attitude.

Judy squinted at him. "If you say so…" she said. "Ugh, I don't even remember what I was saying."

Nick shook his head. "You were saying that I shouldn't feel stupid about being worried about you, but that I shouldn't be worried about anything in this particular instance," he said. "Despite my concerns about the aforementioned Cotton McBowtieface."

Judy couldn't help but laugh at Nick's nicknames for people. "Yup, that's exactly what I was saying. Thanks," she said.

Nick sat back in his seat contentedly, although he was slightly miffed his nickname for Cam hadn't even warranted a half-hearted chuckle out of Judy. "So, Fluff, you up to head back? I'd say we've had a pretty full day," he said.

Judy nodded in affirmation. She pulled out the small wallet she kept in her front pocket and laid a few bills on the table as she got up. Nick noticed and raised an eyebrow. "Uh, Carrots, I thought I was covering the meal?" he asked.

"You are paying, but we agreed that I would get the tip, remember?" she asked. "Don't tell me you forgot?"

A sheepish, toothy grin spread across Nick's muzzle. "Ah, no, of course not!" he replied. "I was just making sure our waitress would be happy when I tipped on the card just a minute ago. Definitely didn't forget though, nope."

Judy shook her head. "You're ridiculous," she said. "Well, I'm definitely leaving a tip. The waitress was really nice. There's no point in arguing about it, so let's just head back to the car."

Nick scoffed with faux indignation. "Well, I never," he sighed. "Be spoken to in this manner, and at dinner of all places. How could you, Fluff?"

"I'd have stayed in acting school, Wilde, you missed a few lessons," she said. Nick hopped out of his seat and followed her out of the door, waving once to their smiling waitress as she arrived to bus the table.

Once outside, Judy quickly circled around the car, peering along every surface. "Uh, feel like letting me in on what you're up to?" Nick asked.

"I'm just checking to make sure there's not any scratches or anything," she replied, eyes never leaving the car. After a 15 second cursory inspection, Judy was satisfied. "Hey, catch," she called out and flipped the keys to him.

Nick bobbled the keys in his paws before looking at her. "What? Why are you giving the keys to me?" he asked.

"Well, I already had my turn, so I figured you'd want a chance to drive it."

Nick smiled and tossed the keys back to her. "I'm flattered, but I've driven my fair share of cool cars before. Besides, you picked this one out. You should drive it back."

Judy beamed and hopped over to the driver-side door. "Well, if you insist," she said hastily before bounding inside. Nick chuckled and sat himself next to her.

"So, to your place, then I can drop the car off back at the lot?" he asked.

The reminder that they couldn't keep the car earned a sulk from Judy. "Right, we don't get to keep it forever…" she grumbled. "Yeah, I suppose that makes sense."

The night was clear and crisp, and a light breeze blew through their fur. Although the light from Zootopia drowned out most of the night sky, a few of the brightest stars peeked out in view. "Hey, why don't I put the top back down? Figure it'll make for a nicer drive," Nick said. "Get to see the moon and everything."

"Oh, right," she replied. "Actually, that'd be really great. Thanks, Nick."

Nick did a little bow, for which he was rewarded with a small giggle. "Don't overdo it, though," she said as he deftly put the top back down behind them. Within 20 seconds, he was back in his seat.

Judy looked up at the sky before turning the engine on. The moon towered above them, glowing an orange ochre; a gigantic harvest moon. "Oh, Nick, look at the moon!" Judy said, pointing to direct his gaze upward. "It's so big!"

Nick wanted to pretend to be unimpressed, but even he had to admit it was quite a sight. "Wow, I don't think I've ever seen it look like that," he replied. "You know, they say that when the moon looks like that, it's a sign of a long, healthy life and lots of children in your future."

Judy gawked at him. "Wait, seriously?"

"Hah, no, but you wouldn't have been able to tell otherwise, right?" Nick laughed.

His shoulder once more felt the sting of justice. Judy turned the key in the ignition and started pulling out of the parking lot.

"You know, I've been meaning to ask you," Nick began. "Where'd you get such an arm? I swear I've been hit by bunnies before, and none of them ever felt like when you do it."

The night air was rushing past them as Judy drove through the decidedly clearer streets of the city. "To be honest, you kind of learn how to throw a decent punch when you have a literal score of brothers," she replied. "It was that, or have my ears pulled and keepaway being played with my doll."

Nick paused long enough to let her words settle in. "Wait, doll? You played with dolls as a kit?" he chuckled. "Have to say, Carrots, I never figured you for the girly type."

Judy blushed faintly under her fur. "Well, it wasn't a doll, per se, more of a, uh," she started. "Okay, it was kind of a doll, but it was a police doll! It had the uniform and hat and badge and everything!"

"Really? I didn't think they made dolls like that."

"Yeah, one holiday my mom decided to indulge my 'fantasy' a bit and managed to find a bunny doll with a police uniform, though I'm not sure how. It had to be just about the only one in existence," she chuckled. "At first I thought she'd made it herself, but I don't think she had the time to dedicate to a single kit's present. Maybe she had it ordered? In fact…"

Nick started to zone out as Judy went into detail about that particular holiday. He tried to stay interested in how her brother Billy nearly caught the tree on fire and set off almost every sprinkler in the burrow, but he was too focused on how the moonlight lay across her grey fur, giving it a dull shine, and how her ears lazily flopped in the wind of the convertible. He says vaguely aware that she was talking, but try as he might, he couldn't take his eyes off her.

"Hello, Earth to Nick?" Judy asked, snapping him out of his reverie. The lavender of her irises almost seemed to glow in the night. "Were you even paying attention?"

"Uh, yes!" he responded, a bit too hastily for Judy's liking. "Basically, Billy is an idiot, right?" He hoped that was enough information to give her the impression of his rapt attention.

Judy glanced to him a few times, squinting intently, before returning her focus to the road. "Yeah, that's basically the gist of it," she said. "You just kinda glazed over there for a few seconds. Do you feel okay?"

As she looked over to him again, he was caught once again by the intensity of her eyes. She was a siren from an old pirates' tale, but instead of a song, all she had to do was voice her concern for him.

It was at that moment that the entire night's events hit him, and he found himself dreading the sunrise in the morning, when the car would be back at the impound lot and he would no longer be on a date with this beautiful bunny.

 _She is beautiful, isn't she,_ he thought to no one in particular. _Strong, pretty…_ His mind flickered momentarily to Cam sharing a laugh with Judy. He expected frustration, but found none. In its place, he found melancholy coming to a slow simmer in his stomach. Her eyes made him self-conscious through no fault of their own. _Gods, I must look old compared to her._

"Huh? Oh, yeah, Fluff, I'm feeling fine," he said, putting on his best airs of confidence. "Sorry, it's such a cool night I got a little distracted, that's all."

By the way her brows relaxed, Nick figured that explanation satisfied her. He settled back into his seat as she slowly rounded a corner, only to find himself at Judy's apartment building. It stood a pale, ugly yellow, wedged between two buildings of similar age and lack of care. The chipped, faded brick stoop in front of the building must have seen thousands of hooves and paws over the years.

"Well, here we are," Judy said. "Thanks for a great dinner. I'll have to pay my way forward next time," she winked. She turned the keys, quieting the purring engine.

"No problem, Carrots. I'll look forward to a more full bank account next time," he teased. She stuck her tongue out at him before unbuckling her seatbelt and opening her door. Nick reciprocated and got out onto the sidewalk. Judy crossed the car, taking a moment to slide her paw along the hood.

"Seriously, thank you for talking me into being a little bad this one time," she said. "That was…"

"Amazing? Unbelievable?"

"Well, yes, I was gonna say impulsive and risky, but it was those things, too."

The two shared a laugh before Judy sat down on the first step. She patted the space next to her, and Nick obliged and took a seat.

Judy looked up at him before he lowered himself next to her. Her heart beat just a little faster as his features were outlined in dusky moonlight above. The orange of the moon played well with his deep crimson fur.

"I can't wait to tell everyone about the car I got to drive!" she said, stamping her feet a bit as she thought of their amazement at Judy Hopps, master car thief.

"Uh, you might wanna keep it on the down low, Fluff," Nick said. "If the wrong people here it, a.k.a. Buffalo Butt, we still might get in trouble."

"Aw, shoot," Judy said, pouting. "Well, I guess I can tell Cameron about it. I bet he'd think it was hilarious."

Nick cringed at the the mention of Cam's name, despite his best efforts to stay stoic. He sighed internally when it became clear Judy had noticed.

"Something wrong? What, about Cameron?" she asked.

A million thoughts whizzed through Nick's head, and he was frozen between what he wanted to say, and what he figured he ought to say. His eyes scanned around for any sign or hint of guidance, but the only thing he could see in his head was Finnick smacking himself in the forehead.

Before he could reply, Judy spoke again. "Nick, you're not… jealous of Cam, are you?"

Nick figured the pounding in his chest must have reverberated throughout the neighborhood, and maybe even the city. His pupils shrunk to pinpricks, and while every muscle in his body screamed at him, he made his decision.

"Yes! Oh, gods, yes!" he shouted, bounding up from his sitting position, and nearly knocking Judy back. She leaned on her paws, mouth agape at his reaction. "I mean, holy shit, Fluff, I can't even begin to describe it! It's disgusting how jealous I am of that furball! Do you know how bad envy green looks with red fur? I mean, my fur goes great with my eyes, but envy green is sickening. I'm not supposed to get jealous, I'm supposed to make other mammals jealous! You remember the other night, after the stake-out, how I was so groggy that morning?"

Nick was frantically pacing back and forth, throwing his paws in the air wildly at random interjections through his speech. Judy said nothing, but nodded at his question.

"That's because I had to have been up for, damn, five hours? Maybe six? I don't know, I lost count after I nearly cried because I managed to get 20 minutes of sleep."

"Why couldn't you get any sleep?" she asked. She couldn't decide whether fear, pity, or compassion was what she should be feeling at his outburst, though she suspected it was a combination of the three.

"It's because I couldn't stop thinking about how you kissed me!" Nick exclaimed. Inwardly, Judy felt a pang of regret that Nick was probably waking up a lot of her neighbors, but she didn't think it was a good time to interrupt him.

"And I felt so awkward and tense the next day, and all the while he was so smooth and natural and charming and…"

He paused and stopped pacing. His shoulder was turned to Judy, and his tone dropped.

"And he's a bunny, like you," he said finally. "Not a fox, like me."

Judy stood up and took a step toward him. "...Nick, is that why you thought there was something between Cam and me? Because he's a hare?"

"Yes - well no, there was lots of stuff," he admitted. Judy thought he looked like a young kit that had been found guilty with his paw in a cookie jar. "But yeah, that played a part."

"Nick, he's not even a bunny, he's a hare."

He shrugged. "Same thing when you're being an idiot. Besides, aren't they, like, really close?"

"I mean, yeah, kinda," she replied before quickly shaking her head. "But that's not the point. Nick, just because another male rabbit is nice to me doesn't mean we're in a relationship, or even interested in one another."

Nick stayed silent for a few moments. "Well, it makes more sense than a bunny being with a natural predator like a fox."

The quiet night air hung between them for what felt like minutes to Nick, before it was broken but a light fit of giggles coming from Judy. He turned to her, wide-eyed and uncertain what could possibly be funny about the situation.

"O-oh, Nick, so what if you're a predator?" she asked, still shaking her laughter away. "I mean, you saw that hyena and stoat together, remember?"

Nick stared at his feet and felt strangely embarrassed about his confession. "W-well, they're still both predators, so-"

"One of them was practically a giant, and the other was just a hair shorter than me," she said. The sheer absurdity of his statement wasn't relinquishing its grip on her. _That was what had him acting so weird? He felt guilty over being a predator?_ she thought.

"Nick, we see cross-species and pred-prey relationships all the time at work. Why would you feel any guilt over that?"

"I guess, I, uh, I don't know," he grumbled. He sat back down on the first step, causing his knees to come up around his muzzle. "I guess I felt like there wasn't any chance when there was a seemingly great guy of your own species standing right in front of you."

"Again, hares and bunnies aren't the same spec-"

"Yeah, yeah," Nick said, waving his paw at her. "Still closer than a fox and a bunny."

She sat back down next to him and placed a paw on his. "All you had to do was ask me about him, and I would have told you," she said.

"I know, but there's little sense to be talked into a dumb fox like me," he replied.

"Besides, after what I know now, I could have alleviated all that stress from you pretty quickly," Judy said, thinking back to her conversation with Cam.

Nick turned to her, cocking his head to the side in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Judy rolled her eyes. "Well, let's just say I don't have nearly enough fangs or claws for Mr. Cotton's liking."

* * *

Cameron sprinted around the corner of the kitchen on all fours, dashing toward the open bedroom door. His heart roared like thunder in his chest. He guessed it must have been moments away from giving out entirely. Just milliseconds behind him was a snarling, half-dressed lynx, her razor-sharp claws just inches away from tearing the meat from his bones. His ears burned as he cascaded into the bedroom and tried frantically to shut the door behind him, but was foiled when the lynx managed to jam one of her paws between the door and the frame.

He gulped, and felt exposed without his shirt on. It had been quickly shredded at the front door just a minute ago. Falling backwards, he began scooting toward the wall as he felt the lynx's hot breath against his chest. She steadily walked towards him with a predatory glint in her eye.

"N-no, please, you don't need to do thi-" Cam was interrupted by her agile paws grabbing him around his chest and tossing him onto the bed. Her claws left sharp indentations into his skin, almost enough to draw blood. He scampered toward the headboard while she gracefully leapt up to face him. Cam's head was pressed against the wood behind him. Her dripping maw was steadily getting closer to his face. He closed his eyes and waited for the worst.

However, no bite came. Instead, a soft pair of lips pressed against his forehead. He opened his eyes to see the hungry snarl on the lynx's face replaced with concern. "Oh, I'm not scaring you too much, am I?" she asked, bringing a paw up to Cam's cheek. "I know how frightened you bunnies can get."

Cam batted her paw away lightly. "Sarah, you don't need to worry, I didn't say the safe word!" he replied, pouting slightly.

Her paw deftly returned to its place. Cam unconsciously nuzzled his cheek against it. "I'm sorry, but you looked so scared! I was worried I was getting a little too real for you," she said.

"First of all, Sarah, I'll have you know I'm a hare, not a bunny" he replied coolly. "And second, no, this is amazing! You're such a good actress, I can hardly believe it!" Cam wasn't sure why he and Sarah were whispering, but they were. He caught himself giggling like a schoolboy, too, which was soon matched by his feline partner.

"You're not bad yourself, mister," she said, lazily dragging a claw along his exposed stomach. He shuddered at the touch. "I almost felt bad for you when you were begging for your life."

"What can I say, I have a flair for melodrama," he said, dramatically flipping one of his ears off his shoulder.

"Oh, and I hope you're not upset about your shirt," she said, wringing her paws together at the memory of her tearing his shirt from his body to start their scene off.

"Sweetheart, I'd let you shred a thousand shirts if it meant you could do it like that again," he replied, adding a sultry lilt to his voice.

She grinned, intentionally showing off her canines. "Well, in that case, why don't we get back to it," she said. One of her paws found the button to his pants, and with a single flick of her claw, sent the button flying. "So, do you know what happens to bunnies that find their way into a lynx's den when she's in heat?"

Cam gulped and shook his head eagerly.

Sarah leaned down and gave him one light peck on his lips. "Remember, the safe word is stake-out," she whispered before leaning in with her teeth.

Cam knew he was supposed to be acting terrified, but he couldn't suppress the grin on his face as her teeth made contact with his neck and her paws made their way to his pants.

* * *

"...You're kidding," Nick said, aghast. "Cam's been into preds the whole time?"

Judy nodded. "Yup, I don't think he ever had a single romantic thought about me since I've known him."

"B-but the dinner you two went on! That-"

"-was just a meal between friends, and nothing more," she concluded.

Nick leaned back, his head a few steps above the one he was sitting on, and barked dry laughter into the night. He smacked his face with one of his paws, letting it linger over his eyes. "I have to be the dumbest fox in all of Zootopia," he said.

Judy laughed. "Well, I'd say top five, at least," she said. She was still processing his outburst; it was obvious Nick had some sort of romantic interest in her, but she had to admit, it was kind of fun to see him squirm like this. She could feel her insides doing cartwheels and backflips at the mere thought of Nick wanting her, though. It wasn't clear to her when it started, but by this point, she didn't care. She decided that before she make any sort of move, she first wanted to hear something from him. This is gonna take my best dumb bunny routine yet, she thought.

"One thing though, Nick," she began. Nick peeked at her from under his paw. "Why be so jealous of Cam in the first place? I don't understand."

Nick's mouth fell open. "W-what do you mean you don't understand? Are you serious?" he asked. Judy maintained composure and simply nodded. "All of that, and it's still not clear?"

Judy turned to face him, making sure her eyes never left his face. His gaze darted around, trying to avoid hers, but she stayed firm. "Nick, just be honest with me, please," she said and put on her best cute bunny face. She knew it was cute; she'd practiced dozens of time in front of the mirror. Proud as she was, Judy was aware she was cute, and wasn't above using it to her advantage now and again.

Nick stared at her twitching nose and her wide eyes and felt the foundation of any dignity remaining crumble away.

"Oh, for… I love you, Carrots! Sickeningly in love with you! In fact, I think I always have been! Maybe even from when we first met, during the Nighthowler case! I don't know, there, I said it!" he shouted. Once his words were in the air, he flopped his paws back onto his face in shame. _Oh, gods, here it comes_ , he thought.

There was no night sky for Judy at that moment. Instead, the stars had shifted to become exploding fireworks. She'd never felt so warm in all her life, at least not since finally graduating from the academy, though it was clear this was so much better than even that.

She let several moments pass between them. _After all, there's no going back after this_ , she thought.

"About time," she said, and leaned forward to gently press her lips against Nick's. The kiss lasted just a moment, but it was enough time for Nick's eyes to shoot open and for him immediately spring up.

"Woah, woah, woah, woah, hold up," Nick said, staring at her. The smirk on her face spread as she gave him a knowing look. "You… you knew?"

Judy stood up on the tips of her toes and leaned next to his ear. "It's called a hustle, sweetheart," she whispered, and gave him another peck on the cheek.

The engine in Nick's brain completely broke. He swore he could feel his synapses firing one by one, and he was fairly confident he could no longer feel the ground beneath him. It was a completely foreign, alien feeling to him, and he needed to feel it more.

"I- you-, I m-mean, how- I don't-" Nick sputtered. He knew he sounded like a complete idiot, though that was the least of his concerns at that moment.

Judy let him stew in his own confusion for a few seconds longer before offering, "Why don't you just hug me? I'd say that's a good place to start."

Nick nodded simply and leaned forward to embrace her, feeling her fur on his paws unlike he'd ever before. He started laughing, quietly at first, but growing and growing before it echoed between the buildings and his stomach started hurting. Judy joined in just moments after he started, and the two had to sit down after nearly doubling over in hysterics. All the stress and tension Nick had felt over the last few days flew out of his muzzle and into the air above Savanna Central.

The pair collapsed on the steps next to one another, stray giggles occasionally finding their way out of their mouths.

"O-oh, ow, oh geez, I think I needed that," Nick said, clutching at his stomach. "I don't know whether to be outraged as the victim of the best hustle I've ever seen, or be ecstatic you don't think I'm weird for being into you."

 _Into her, yeah, that's one way of putting it_ , Nick thought. Even though he'd already admitted it, it still felt a little strange coming out of his mouth.

"I don't know why you'd assume I'd think it was weird," Judy replied, turning to face him. "Plenty of mammals are into pred-prey stuff."

Nick cocked an eyebrow. "Oh, yeah? Name some that aren't Cam."

"Well, Clawhauser definitely is," Judy began.

"Woah, hold up, Spots is into prey?" he asked.

Judy shrugged. "You don't go on Chitter that often, do you? He's always talking about his dates and love life and stuff."

"Sounds like the reason I don't go on too much," Nick muttered. "But whatever, that's only one mammal."

"Well, there's the lynx from the bakery that I hooked up with Cam," she said. "In fact, I bet they're on a date right now."

Nick conceded her point. "Okay, that's two."

Judy paused before speaking again. "...And there's a certain hardboiled bunny cop on the ZPD that may or may not be interested in knowing what a strong predator feels like. You know, plenty of average, everyday folks are into it."

If Nick had been drinking anything, his sputtering would have made a legendary spit-take. He stared at Judy, his face covered in uncertainty in what to say.

"Well, I guess not any predator, but there is a particular fox that she's really interested in," she said. She leaned forward and pressed her lips to Nick's again, but didn't pull away this time. Nick felt the warmth of her body against his and instinctively wrapped his arms around her, holding her in close to him. Judy's lips parted and she felt one of Nick's canine's with her tongue, causing her to shiver. Her comparatively small paws made their way to Nick's head, slowly stroking down his neck and digging into his fur.

The two separated after several seconds, though it could have been hours for all Nick knew. He was surprised to find himself panting, and even more surprised to see Judy was, too. The two locked eyes before Nick looked away. She felt so soft and small in his arms, and he became acutely aware of his fangs and claws. He thought of her apartment just a few floors up, and the privacy it would provide, but then looked back down at the loving gaze Judy was giving him. "I… I really don't want to mess this up," he said quietly. "I don't know what I should do next."

Judy felt a blooming warmth spread throughout her body at his words. "Don't worry, Nick, you're doing everything right," she said.

This earned a weak smile from Nick. "Heh, it's kinda different hearing you say my name now."

"Different?"

"In a good way, I mean. Here, I bet it's different for you, watch. Thanks, Judy, you're amazing."

Her ears stood up straight hearing Nick use her name so casually; he'd never said her name like that before. She had to admit, he was right. Hearing him say her name now was different. "Y-yeah, you're right, I kinda like it. You don't say my name that often."

"Well, I can start, if you want," he said. "I can start right now, even. Judy, Judy, Judy, Judy, Judy, Judy-"

Her cheeks burned with every subsequent mention of her name. "Ahah, you can just stick with the nicknames most of the time, that's okay."

Nick smirked, which somehow felt right to him, like the natural order had been restored. "Whatever you say, Fluff. I'll save Judy for when I want to see you get flustered like you were right now."

The two sat in comfortable silence, looking at the sky in between stealing glances at each other. "I guess we gotta take the car back, huh," Nick said, breaking the quiet.

"Yeah, I guess so. I should probably start heading to bed, too, if I'm going to get your favorite coffee in the morning," she said with a small smile. "Wait," she said, her smile vanishing with a sudden realization. "If you're dropping the car off, how are you gonna get back to your apartment?"

Nick thought a moment. "I'll just get a taxi or that one car ride app thing," he said.

"Zuber?" she asked.

"That's the one."

She shook her head. "No, that's silly," she said. "I already let you pay for dinner, I don't want you to do this, too."

Nick shrugged. "Well, I don't really have any other ideas. Our cruiser is back at the station, remember?"

Judy tapped her foot trying to think of another way. "Ugh, I can't think of anything," she sighed after a while. "I just…"

"Just what? C'mon, Carrots, don't leave me hanging."

"I don't want tonight to end," she whispered, looking intently at his eyes.

"I, um, I don't want it to end either, to be honest," he said. He rubbed the back of his head and absentmindedly tugged on one of his ears. "But we gotta get the car back."

Judy nodded and sighed once more. The pair stood up off the steps, and Judy quickly wrapped Nick up in a tight hug. "Woah, don't worry, Fluff, I'll see you all day tomorrow," Nick cooed. He put his arms around her and stayed there for several moments. "Do you wanna, I don't know, grab some dinner or a movie or something after work tomorrow?" he asked.

She looked up at him with a smile spreading across her face. "Yeah, I'd like that," she said.

The pair reluctantly separated and Judy handed him the keys. She opened up the door behind her but stopped when she heard the roadster's driver door open. "Actually, I think I'd like that more right now," she said.

She whirled to face him. Nick had stopped and closed the door to the car. "Huh?" he replied.

"Well, I mean I have lots of movies up in my apartment," she said. "And I have popcorn and a microwave. I don't know if you're a fan of bad horror B-movies or not-"

Nick's eyes widened. "Are you kidding? I love that schlocky crap. Where do you think I get my acting chops from?"

That warranted a giggle from Judy. "Well, Roberto _did_ say the car had to be back by 5 a.m., and it's not even midnight right now," she said. "Do you, I don't know, wanna come upstairs and watch bad movies with me?"

Nick hit the lock button on the key fab, and the car beeped with certainty. He tried to think of something witty to say, something worthy of the legendary conman Nick Wilde, but all he could get was, "Yeah, I'd like that a lot, Judy."

Her inner ears turned bright pink at the mention of her name again, though she rather liked it this time around. "Okay! We'll deal with the car later. I'll go get the popcorn started," she said, and turned to bound up the stairs of her apartment complex. Nick craned his neck slightly to watch her tail bob and bounce as she ascended the stairs, and it was then he became aware of the soreness in his cheeks from smiling so much. "Nick Wilde, you are one smooth operator," he said before tripping over the curb and nearly landing face first on the pavement. He shot up and looked around to ensure no one saw. Seeing no one, he dusted himself off and ran up the stairs, faster and more excited than he was willing to admit.

FIN


End file.
